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Tlie 
Black Troopers, 

OR 
Tin: DAKING HEROISM 

OF 

THE NEGRO SOLDIERS 

IN THE 

SPANISH-AMERICAN WAR. 

PKOi USKI.Y ILLUSTRATED, 
BY 
MILKS V. LYNK, M. D., CX^^^^ ^ 

ArTHOK OK "THE AFKO-AMKKICAN SCHrtCt 
Sl'EAKKK AND GKMS OV LITER ATUKB. " BTC« 



Copyright 1809. By 
M. TrX.TWK 



Publiflhed by 
THE M. V. LYWK PUBLISIHTVC aOt7SE> 
JACKSON, TENN. 



38415 







gccUcatiou. 



TO TUli: MUI.Tl'ltDM 

or PAINSTAKINw .\NU CONSCl Il.NTIUUS I'AKKNTS, 

IN WHOSK IKJMi:^, 

AKorND whosh; hkaktii-stonks, 

AND UNDER WHOSE TENDEK, FOSTERING CAKE, 
TMK (;Al.l,ANr NKtiRo SDI.KIKKS, 

WHO l>Il)YOKMAN SKRVICK, 

IX THK Sl'AMSII-AM KUIt'AN WAl.", 

TO THK THOUSANDS 

OF i'.KAVP: NKGRO BI.U K JACKKTS KN<;Ar.KI) 

AM) FINALLY, 

Ti> THAT UNl)A('\rEI> SIMKIT <'F MANLY 

VALOU AND II KUDIS.M 

THAT IS BOUNI> TO LKAVK ITS IMPRINT UI'OS 

THK SlllNINt; I'ACiKS oK THE 

WoRf.I'S HUroRV , 

Tlirs VOLUMK 18 RKSPKCTFULLT 

PKPICATEU 



^^y the ^uthoi-. 



PREFACE. 



U ISTORY abounds in strikiiiff narra- 
"^^ tives of chivalry and lu'iuisni, (f 
'*^*^ profound statesmanship and hirtii 
national struggles; but its most gluwiiiii 
pages are tliosc that lecord the pmud 
achievements of i)atriotic stddicrsand sijjl- 
ors, in their eilorts for tlie suprcniai'v. 
Sparta had her Thermopylae, Haiti h< r 
' L'Ouverture and Dessalines. Scotland had 
her Bannockbui-n, and imn o ral Biuce. 
1'he Afro- Americans have legions, who 
have forever immortalized themselves by 
their soldierly conduct in defense of hu- 
man liberty. 

It was with the desire to permanently 
write the names of these illustrious heroes 
upon the pages of recorded history, and 
thus insure to generations, yet un-born, a 
proud heritage, the writing of this volume, 
as incomplete as it may be, was undeitaken. 
Having impressed my readei-s with the 
bravei'v. valient heroism, and ti'uc •>(il- 
dierly bearing of Afro-Americans us 



VI . PREFACE. 

proven on recent battlefieJ(]s, in camps, 
and as commissiond officeis of the I'. <^., 
the consumation of a high junbition will 
have been effected. The status of Nations 
and Races is measured by thier industry, 
scholarship and biaveiy. 

Considering all things, tl' :• Negi'o it 
standing the test as measui'ed by these 
standards. Methink.^ I can see the day, 
just beyond the horizon of the blackening 
clouds, vvhen the world, moved by the in- 
exorable facts of plain histcry, w^ill ac- 
cord to the Negro all the considerations 
vouchsafed to the most favored branch of 
th(^ human family. If not, why not? 

On account of the scarcity of special 
correspondents with the colored ^soldiers 
in Cuba," we have made libeial use of the 
pages of the following papers for which 
we extend thanks, viz: — 

The Frekm\n, Age, Curistian Rj^corder, 
Statesman, National Standard J^nterprise 
and Plane r. 



Jockson, Tenn. 
April 15, 1899, 




The United States Battleship Maine, 

before blown up 




The United States Battleship Maine 

being- l)lown up in Havana Harbor, Feb. 15 1898. 
Over 260 American sailors were killed, 24 of whom 
were colored. 



PARTT.^ 

CllAriEK 1. 

I>/J KODUC'i OKY. 



F 






OR conveDience of studying the sub- 
jects herein treated, this book is di- 
vided into two paits. 
Part 1st. is devoted to the history of the 
colored soldiers, enlisted in the regular 
army of the U. S. who took part in the 
Spanish- American war. 
Part 2nd. gives account of the colored sol- 
diers, who enlisted in the U. S. army as 
volunteers and not as regulars. Some of 
these volunteers saw service; others were 
pr ontedfromrelizingtheir highest am- 
bition by the short duration of the war. 
Both regulars and volunteers, those who 
saw actual service and those who didn't, 
w.M-e (Mjually heroic, and thus deserving of 
praise. One wont into service when his 
time came and the other was prevented by 
circumstances over which he had no con- 
trol. 



CHAPTER II 
Causes Leading up to the War. 



rflHE cause wliich gave rise to the Span- 

-^- isli- American War may be divided 

^^> into two classes, viz: — Remote and 

Immediate, 

Remote Cause. 

One only has to study the colonial policy 
of Spain, extending through centuries, to 
notice the oppression, the curtailment of 
human rights and liberties, and the con- 
stant stream of bloodshed, consequent 
therefrom, to see the underlying causes 
that might give rise to a war oc liberation. 
Cuba is situated right in the door of the 
U. S., so to speak. For centuries the Is- 
land had been a hot-bed of oppression. 
Spain had taken advantage of every oppor- 
tunity to enrich her home treasury, at the 
expense of the Island colonists. There 
was no popular government. The people 
becoming tired of the tyranic.J. yoke, 
made several attempts to gain thoir inde- 
pendence, notable among these, the bitter 
Ten Years War which began Oc: K), 1869 



rSE BLACK TliOUPEKS. \ I 

and lasted ten years; and the vrar which nad 
for Its culniination the throwing oft* <»i the 
yoke Of Spain. It h<^j?an in April, 1895 and 
enutd ii. Aiii,-., ib^S. Aside froni'ilie 
naiLirai teudenc> oi" the U. S. , to syn.pa- 
thize ^YitL a raco of people, strung-ling for 
independence, ti.ese insurrections, cNcr 
which Spain seemed to have little comud, 
did much to interfere with American c m- 
merce and American property on th is- 
land. 

for this anl for humanitarian reasons, 
the American people, through their ncu.^ 
papers an(i tnrongh their represent,viti\ es 
in Congress, clemanded that the U. S., in- 
terfere to the end that Spanibh rule should 

cease in Cuba. 

Spaniards became very defiant of what 

they termed American interference in 
their affairs. Americans were o fit red 
many indignities on the streets of J:la\... • , 
t ireats were made against American consu- 
lar and other ofti'^ers. Bat the American 
war spirit was not fully aroused until.the 
U. S. Battleship, ^ "Maine," was blown up 
in jlnvnria Il^rhnr on tb^ <^^ rning of Feb. 
15, X6\^. Tuis brings us o lie 



12 THE BLACK TROOPERS. 

IMMEDIATE CAUSE. 

Tt was supposed that the Maine, a sec- 
ond class battleship, and one of the best 
Tessels of her class, was destroyed through 
Spanish treachery. Owing to the intense 
excitement, and the nn-trustworthineps of 
the peasons who were competent to testify, 
this theory could not be proyen. Howeyer, 
public sentiment in America favored it 
and ail the administration, at Washington, 
could not prevent a declaration of war by 
Congress. Accordingly, Congress ordered 
intervention, Tuesday, April, 19, 1898. 
Colored Men on the Maine. 

There were thkty colored men in the 
crew of the illfated battleship Maine. 
1 liis tends to further prove, that, notwith- 
standing the fact, white historians fail to 
give the Negro proper credit, yet, without 
his ever presence, American history would 
be void of some of its most illustrious 
pages, But we digress: of the thirty col- 
01 nl men on the Maine twenty-two were 
k led, and injured, 

The following lost their lives, as the 
direct result of the explosion, to wit: — 
Geo. Johnson, Washington, D.. C. ; John 
T. Adams, Washington, D, Om Paniel 



THK BLACK TROOPKRS. 13 

Lewis. W'ashing'tun, 1). ('.; Noldc T 
.Miidd. Washington, D. C ; Ohas. Ander- 
son, Norfolk, Va.; -las. Gordon, Poits- 
nioutli, Va.; William Lambert, Hampton, 
Ya.; Kobt. Perry, Norfolk, Va.; Alficd 
Simmons, Portsinouth, Ya.: John K. Bne; 
William Colejiian, Brooklyn, N. Y.; 
CharlevS Hassell, Salla, W. L; Harry Jack 
>(^n, Los Angeles, Cal.; Chas. F. Jnst, 
< harlston, S. C; James W. London. 
Keyport, N. J.; John E. Marshall, Harri- 
son, Ky.; John Mose, Rainwood, N. C; 
James Pinkney, Annapolis Md.; John 
Warren, Randolph, S. C. William Colo- 
man, New York, N. Y. ; and tw.o others. 

The injured were: James W. Allen, 
Norfolk, Ya.; Robt. Hutching, New York, 
N. Y^.; James Williams, New York, N. Y. 
Henry Williams, Richmond, Va. 

The uninjured were: Westmoie James, 
Charles City, Va.; Daniel C Toppins, 
New York, N. Y.; John 'J\>ppin, Long 
Branch, N. Y.:Alonza Willis, Keyport, 
N. J.; 



CHAl* Tiili lU. 

iSTegro Solcl*ers eiilist-ed io the regular 
U. S. Army. 

'JjX)UK Kegro refill! en ts constituie the 
■^l^ quota of troops in the regular U. S. 
^•^ army. They a-re the 9th. and lOtfc. 
cavalry: and the 24th. and 25th. infantry. 
Before the breaking '.)at of the war, they 
were Mc^-f/ioned ap. foUi>ws. The 24th. reg-i- 
inefji ar Fort DonglasR, near Salt Lake 
City: Lhe 25th. at .Minsonia, Mont. ; the tnh 
cavalry m the department of the PLitt; 
aii'f the 10th at Assiniboine, Mont. 

All of the comniiRsioned (^("Bcers of tnese 
re^^iments are white. The regiments were 
recruited in the fiO's and are composrd of 
some of the besi; discijjlinf d tr(><\] s (;f il.r 
IT. S. Army. kM of these y.'Tirjns suvr 
service in the Spanish-American War. 

[In the <'.ity of New Oideans, in 1866, 
two thousand two hundred and sixt}' six 
ex-slaves were recruited for service- 
None but the largest and blackest Negroes 
were accepted. From them were fi)rn#d 
the Twenty-fourth and Twenty-fifth infan- 



THE BLACK TROOT'ERS. 17 

try, and the Ninth and Tenth cavalry. 
All four are fanious fighting' rigiinents, 
yet the tAvo cavalry commands have earned 
the proudest distinction, ^^'hi c tie rec- 
ord of the Ninth cavalry, in its i*. .ty-two 
yeafb of service in the Indian wars, in the 
military history of the border, stands witii- 
out a peer: and s. wirhont exception, the 
most famous fighting regiment iii liic 
r^nited States service.! 

J list before the actual declaration of 
hostilities;, the New York Tribune, among- 
other things, had the J'ollovving to say: — 
''Since 1862 the nation has had ample op- 
portunity to t*?st the value 01 the colored 
American cis a soldier in a variet} of 
ways — on the baitieheld, in the protracted 
si( ge, in Indian warfare, and in the trying 
Service of preserving order and protecting 
life and property in the time of the great 
strike of 189-1. During the closing" period 
of the war he won for himself a place .a 
the military world which he has been able 
if) hold ever since. Fourteen colored sol- 
diers leceived medals for heroic conduct 
during the short period that they served 
in .the civil war; since then seven \\a\c won 
cJfi-ressional medals for distinguished 



18 • THE BLA'^K TROOPERS. 

gallantry in rii-tioii against liidians and 
robbers, aiiil two have received certiricatcs 
of m 'I'lC ill r!)iv;.-.i ol recognition of aces of 
specuil rlioiigti ie>s consspicuous br.ivery. 

Physicai i> the o Mi'd soldier- is the ('(jual 
of cae b 's,:, aii rn' taik to the contrary 
n!)Cvvit!)st;ir. .ing. ddie average height of 
tlif ;iative white rei-ruit is 67.76. inches. 
Burin weight the colored man has derid- 
ed !\' rhc advanrage. . Of the recruits re- 
cei/ed l):"t:ween the ages of twenty-five and 
twenty-nine years, the average w^eight of 
the native whites was 146.25 pounds; tiiO 
foieigu l)oi-n whites, 147.16 pounds, whi.o 
that of tlie colored men was 149.42 pound-. 
Ii! iiiere a\(didnpois the ccdored soldi; s 
itad tiie aimy, and in physical endui'anre 
they liave proved themselves as tough as 
t.ie toughest. This paper is also authority 
for following extract from the Surgeon's 
report on the subject of alcoholism among 
the Negro troops. 

"The admission rate for alcoholism, was 29.06 for 
the aimy ms a whole — 31 20 among- the white and 
5 7u among- the t-olored troops. Seven deaths 
among- whiles w€T^^ due directly t<> this cause. 

This is a slight improvement upon the record of 
1895 which showed 30 1) as for the array, with 
■)2.i6 and b.47 for the wliite and colored respective- 
ly, and a very consi'^erahle improvement on the re- 
cord of th« prtcfding^ decade, which g-ives 41.04 as 



THE BLACK TROUPERS. U) 

llio .iverugc iinnual rale Ijir the armv— 4.<.2 tor Uic 
cuktred and 4o.u7 lur ihc wliilc liouj^." 

it f lilt lie r says: — 

•"Tne colored sumiers acquire thr driil and readily 
lake d tair degree ol pride in it and are good sholb. 
The colored reginienis tiave done as well with the 
new ritle as any, tiie Joth. regiment leading the de- 
partment in Wi'i cu It IS locateu. I'hat colored sol- 
uiers do not lack courage nas been proven again and 
again. Gen. .Uernii jspecialiy charactcrued them 
as * brave in uam^- ""' 



I 



<.i 



CHAFTEU IV, 

Tiie IHli. Cavalry. 
o 

Tills regiment has done more desper- 
ate work in its time thai! auy othe i '"a 
^-fH- the f-ev\icc Ihe Kii.th is no pari oo. 
cummaua. * it was never givei) anythii.-g' 
but a fighting assignment. It was never 
assigned even for a season at any of 1K<5 
desirable Eastern posts. This was M'g 
because they are Negroes, but bec'ai:.Si3 
they are first-class fighting men. 

Six months after the Ninth enlisted it 
TBceived its first shock of battle. It v ?ss 
in the spring of 1867, at Ft. Lancaste: . a 
small post on the 'IVxas plai'iis. The thor.?,- 
ands of Indians vrh.o i^urrounded the i^^iz 
made much spoit of the black troop.s. 
The day they met rnem in battle their opm- 
ion changed. The Negroes fought like 
demons. They obeyed thesr white officers 
perfectly, and were more ready to fight 
than eat. An account of their t^confiict 
reached civilization several months later 
and wa-: n revehation to those who had 
ridiculed the Kegro as soldier. From that 



'.m: BLAflK TRDOPERS. 21 

day it hay been one lun- fiu-ht with riie 
Ninth, 'rheir deeds ef <\Hv'm<y wonhl h'll 
Tolumes, aii(], thou-}! rlieir ranky have al- 
most wholly chanized hficc thr- first mlisr- 
ment. the co]nn]i;ii(l li;;sHl\vays h('(Mi n ;i(le 
up of hghteis. 

The Ninth rejj^aincJ ,,„ t\w M,-xi,;ni 
border until 1.S75, iMi(hiriiio- rhe ho, •,•<»!•> .,f 
Indian wars aliuosr constantlv. 'J'hci 
they moved into New Mexico, ^vith lieaci- 
quarters at Santa Fe. 'i'here they contin- 
ued to see hot service until 1881. weeii 
they went further north, with head(jnar- 
ters at Ft. HiJey, Kas. Col. Edwa.ci 
Hatch was the original coniniander of 
the Ninth. He never faltered in his opin- 
ion of his blaek soldiers, and was with 
them in all theii- hottest wojk. Why. those 
Ninth cavalrymen would ha\c followed 
Hatch to the devil, and th(.u^-h he had I en 
in his o-,-ave these tej^ years, the nieniciy 
of the ffallant fellow continues to stimulate 
the dusky troopers he Km! against odds of 
ten to one amonff the j-eds of the Snutheni 
plains. 

A HUNDRED MILES A DA Y. 

rmmKilrythr Xinih c(.,itinue(i nniiii 
^eipf: rransfprr(>(! o Ft .Me Kinney \\'yo. 
in lt95. 'ihe 1,400 miles the Ninth made 



22 ^ THE BLACK TROOPERS. 

overland just to show what they could do. 
And it was wonderful what time these men 
could make. No wonder they were a terror 
to the Indians, for they were here one day 
and 100 miles away the next, fij^litiiig like 
devils. The Government ahviiys kept 
these troopers in action and as the Indians 
moved further into the heart of the Rock- 
ies of the north, so were the troopers re- 
moved into more isolated district. They 
have remained in the North since 1885, be- 
ing transferred, however, to Ft. Kobinson 
as headquarters in the meantime. r^ 
Said a well known army man: — 

"I recall a hundred desperate engfag^ements of this 
troop, showings their wonderful coolness and daring- 
qualities. Their hardest work in the Sioux campaign 
of 1890-91 marked the Ninth as a fighting command 
of wonderful energy. Thej were in the Bad Lands 
hunting Indains, 114 miles from Pine Ridge, on De- 
cember 30, 1890. That was the day of the battle of 
Wounded Knee, where Custer's old command the Sev- 
enth, wiped out old Two Strikes's band of Sioux. 
Incidentally, it may be mentioned that the Seventh 
lost nearly two score of men there, so it was hot 
work on both sides. 

That day the Ninth was instructed to get back to 
the agency as quick as possible. (^uy V. Henrj 
Was then major of the Ninth. He is now Colonel 
of the Tenth, and Perry is Colonel of the Ninth. 
The NinUi rode to the a^-ency, 100 miles away, in 
twenty-five hours; then without getting out of their 
saddles rushed off fourteen miles to the rescue of the 
Seventh Cavalry, which wi^s t^re^^tetted witji total 



THE BLACK TROOPERS. fS 

extinction at i he battle of the mission Tf the fifj^ht- 
int; Ninth had been an hour later Custer's old com- 
mand would have sutlered the same fate as their 
chief and his men did on the LittU- Big- Horn. 'I he 
>inth fnced the Indains after that terrible riiie 
■without slacking'- speed. The Indains recofi;nized 
tin- reg-iment as it came over the hill north oi the 
ni ---ion buildinj^s and refused to stand their terri- 
h- V harg"e, but scampered off in a hurj." ^ 

One of the most notable achievements 

[he Ninth Cavalry, and in fact one of 
Tiie most exti'aordinary incidents in tlie 
liistory of the operations in the Indian 
country, was the dash of Troop D of the 
^'inth on October :-^, 1879, at .Milk River, 
Avhen they went to rescne Thornburg's com- 
mand, which was hemmed in by hostile 
^Vhite Hive; Utes. Troop D was sent 

1 ! rough the lines of the Indians wnth a 
liiirrah. Kveiy horse in the troop^ was 
killed, not one getting inside the brcst- 
woiks. Yet, remarkable to relate, not 
cue member of the detachment was kilb'd. 
L hey ride like centaurs, and can shoot a 
rcvolvei- with each hand, iiolding their 
bridle iviiiN in their teeth while their 
horses aie lunning. 



The 9th's. Cuban Camprtign. 



T/^HEN war with Spain was declared 
J^ it was in keeping- with the eteraal 
-►>> fitness of things that the 9th. U. 8. 
Cavalry should be given a place of great- 
est danger — and consequently of greastest 
honor. 

.\ccordingly, this regiment, popularly 
known as the "Black Buffaloes," was with 
the first division of troops sent to Cuba. 
This division was under the command of 
Maj. Gen. Shafter. The 9th. was in the 
brigade commanded by Brig. Gen. "Joe" 
Wheeler, an ex-eonfederate commander of 
cavalry. 

The Rough Riders Ambuscaded. 
"The Rough Riders" a New York cav- 
alry regiment of whites popularly so called 
because it was composed of athletes and 
cow-boys, was with the division in which 
th ')th, was serving. This regiment was 
considered the crack, white volunteer reg- 
iment, and was in charge of Lieut. Col. 



THE BLACK TROOPERS. 2.") 

Theodore Poosevelt These new v^cnifc!^ 
not beinof used to g-eiinilla wai-iaie, weie 
aml)iiscaded by a handful of Spanish shcirp 
shooters, and would have been exteimi- 
nated had it not been for the timely an i\ al 
and quick work of the 9th. and lOtli. caval- 
ries. The following poem, by \V. F. J'ow- 
ell, a white man is a monument, more ciui m-- 
ing than granite, that shall foi ever stjind 
as a Gibralter to the sparten couiaj^e of the 
Negro soldier around San Juan Hill and 
their work in saving the Rough Riders at 
Guasimas. 

Hark! O'er the drowsy trooper's dream, 
There comes a martial metals scream, 

That startles one and all! 
It is the word, to wake, to die! 
To hear the foeman's fierce defyl 
To fling- the column's battle-cry! 

The "boots and saddles" call. 

The shimmerinjf steel, th« g-low of morn, 
The rally-call of battle-horn, 
Proclaim a day of courage, born 

For belter or for all. 
Above the pictured tentag-e whitt, 
Above the weapons glittering; bright, 
The day God ciists a o-c'den light 

Acr< ss .*^an Ju; n Hill. 

"Forward Forward" cc^mes llic cry, 
As stalwart coiunins, anilling 1>< , 
Stride over the graves tbat waiting- lie 
Undug in niolber earth I 



26 j^ TBffi BLACK TROOPERS. 

Their goal, the flay of iLrce Castile 
-Above her serried ranks of steel, 
Insensate to the cannon's peal 
That g-ives the battle bii ui. 

As brawn as black— a fearless foe, 
Grave, grrim and g-rand, thej onward go, 

To conquer or to die! 
The rule of rig-ht; the march of mig^ht; 
A dusky host from darker nig-ht 
Responsive to the morning- lig-ht, 

To work the martial will! 
And o'er the trench and trembling earth, 
1 he morn that gives the battle birth 

Is on San Juan Hill 

Kark ! sounds again the bugle — call 

Let ring the rifle over all, 

To shriek above the battle poll 

The war god's jubilee! 
Their's were bondman, low and long; 
Their's once weak against the strong; 
Their's. to strike and stay the wrong, 

That strangers might be free! 

And on, and on for weal or woe, 
The taM'Tiy faces grimmer grow, 
1'hat bade no mercy to a foe 

That pitties but to kill, 
"Close up!" "Close up!" is heard, and saidi 
And yet the rain of steal and lead 
Still leaves a livid trail of red 

Upon San Juan Hill! 

"Charge!" "Charge'M The bugle peals again; 
Tis life or death for Roosevelt's men! — 

The niHusers make reply! 
Aye! s]>eachless are those awarthy sons. 
Save for tlie clamor of the guns — 

Their only battle-crjl 



THE BLACK TROOPERS. 27 

The lowly slain upon each lace. 
The taunt still fresh of prouder race. 
But speeds the step that springs apace; 
To succor or to die! 

With rifles hot — to waisl-baud nude; 
The brawn beside the paii.pered dude: 
The cow-borking- — one grave — and rude — 

To shelter him who falls! 
On ^ breast — and bare — how'er beg-ot; 
Tk.' low, the high — one c >tiimon lot; 
Thj world's distiHction ail forg^ot 

When freedom's bug-al callat 

No faltering stept, no fitful start; 

None seeking less than all his part; 

One watchword springing from each heartt 

Yet on, and onward still! 
The sullen sound of tramp and tread; 
Abe Lincoln's fiai»- still overhead; 
They followed ^vhere the angels lead 

The way, u > San Juan Hill! 

And where tl c life stream ebbs and flows. 
And stains the track t>f trenchant blows 

That me;, no meatur steel, 
The bated breath- the battle yell — ■ 
The turf in slippery crimson, tell 
Whert- Castile's proudv;*t colors fell 

With wounds that never heald! 

Where every tJooper fcHind a wreath 
Of glory for his srbre sheath ; 

And earned the laurels well; 
With feet to field and face to foe, 
In lines of bartle Ijing low. 

The sable soldiers fell ! 

And where the black and brawny breast 
Gave up its all— life's ric'u-st, best, 
To find the tomb's eternal r»^t 
A dream of freedom still 1 



28 THE BLACK TROOPERS. 

A groundless creed was swept away, 
With brand of "coward" — a time-worn say 
And he blazed the path a better way 

Up the side of San Juan Hill! 
For black or white, on the scroll of fame, 
The blood of the hero dies the same; 

And ever, ever willl 

Sleep, trooper sleep; thy sable brow, 
Amid the living- laurel now 

Is wound in wreaths of fame! 
Nor need the graven granite stone, 
l\) tell of garlan'^s all thine own — 

To hold a soldier's name! 



CHAPTKR VT. 

The lOth. Cavalry. 

o 

ri^lIKSE stiilwart hoys of I'licle Sam's 
-*- (ighting family were with the 9th. at 
"♦■■♦^ La Quasima, Kl C"aney, and San 
Juan Hill Col. Guy V. Henry was the 
cnuimanding colonel, its men are es- 
p:- ially noted for their Hue physical de- 
Teiopement and stately carriage. 
Tneir conduct around Santiago often called 
ftM-th the loudest praise, even from the en- 
euiy. The day after the taking of San, 
Juan Hill, says John, A. Kathani to the 
Saii Francisco Chronicle, a >panish officer 
re nirked to an American officer: ''We 
kiK'W the Amei'ican soldicis would fight 
hard and l)ia\('ly. hut we didn't leave our 
jKtsitiniis. uiitil wc saw creei)ing on to-wai'd 
ns rlie-^e hlack men, these Haitians. " "No 
ma Haitians" said the American oiTicer, 
'M)ut Americans." \\ hat t)il>ute to the 
bravery of the Haitian soldier! Spaniards 
did not retreat — not even from Americans, 
until they thought flaitians soldiers were 
in Sight! Every race loving >«ej|fro'ii> heart 



50 THE BLACK TRUOPFJ.S. 

must swell within him while he reads these 
lines! 

At La Quasima, where two of the Negro 
cavalry regiments arrived just in time to 
save the Rough Riders from being- cut to 
pieces; at San Juan, where a Negro color 
serg'eant was the first man to plant our ban- 
ner on the top of the hill; on all the sur- 
rounding heights overlooking Santiago, 
and later among the sick and dying in the 
terrible fever camp at Sibony, where the 
Twenty-fourth Infantry had been paced 
to watch over and attend their comrade . \i 
was always the same. The Negro lu ni 
the beginning of the campaign to the end 
never for a moment showed anything but, 
the utmost devotion for the cause and a 
most reckless bravery and a stubborn cour- 
age. It was down at Siboney, that viie 
village that must always be associated in the 
minds of men who saw it aftei- the battle of 
Santiago, with every-thing horrifying and 
sickening, that the great truth of the axiom 
''the bravest are the tenderest," was 
pertinent. These fellows had been seen 
scrambling up against the enemy only a lew 
days before in the face of a withering and 
deadly fire, struggling on with clenched 




i 

i 



* Sergeant Horace W Biviut^ 

10th. United States Cavalry and Marks-maa of the 

United States Army. 




3Iajor K. K. >\ i ij^ht, 

Who w;is appoiiiied i.;iv-master in tiic United States 
Army, witli rank nl Major. He and Mrijur J..lin K 
Lvnch. were the only two colored paj-mastcrs ap- 
poinied. 



^ THE BLACK TROOPERS. 'A') 

tepfh UPC steady aim, and iookinfr and act- 
ing iiKe black deiuois let loo.-(>, and heiQ 
in this little sea^-idt^ villi. gf, ti.o!!;4-h thorn- 
selves exhausted with the labor of the two 
preceding weeks, they were ninsing the 
wounded^ and tending the tlvitij^-. Ked 
Cross nurses were thoi-e too, Ijut ;io wonriaii 
acted more gently with her charges, or 
pressed the brow of pickness more tenderly 
rhan these same black soldiers. 
^ hen they rode into the very jaws of death 
ar La. Quasima, to ^;ive the Rough Riders 
(White) from extermination, they must 
have presented a panaramic spectacle un- 
eqiialed in the annals of militai y warefare. 
W ell might the muse^, with their souls 
running over with the fullness of poetical 
essence, say, (St. Joseph Radical): — 

"When a rain ot shot was falHag-, with a song- 

upon his lips, 
In the horror where such gallant lives went out 

in death's eclipse. 
Face to face with Spiinish bullets, on the slope 

of San Juan, 
The Negro soldier showed himself another type 

of man. 
Read the story of his courage, coldly, carelessly, 

who can — 
The story of tlie Tenth at La Ouasima! 
We have heaped the Cuhriu soil above their 

V)odies, black ;>nd ^vhitt'. 
The sirangely sorted cuniriide': of that grand and 

g-lurious fight. 



36 THE BLACK TROOPERS. 

And many a i^^air-sicinned volunteer g-oes whole 
ana ijounu to-day, * 

For the succor of the colored troops, the battle 
records say ; 

And the fued is done forever, of the blue coat 
and the g^ray; 
All honor to the Tenth, at La Quacima." 



rrAT»Ti5:R vii. 

Some Tdividiial Members of the 10th. 



A 



FTER the roar of cannonry has 
ceased and the din of battle huslied, 
'*♦■'♦■♦ the real heroes of the conflict stand 
out prominently. Some operate the guns, 
others command, requiring great sell-pos- 
sion, nicity of j\u;genient, and executive 
ability; still ar.oilier class is given to ten- 
derly care for the injured. It is tlic lairer 
to which our hero belongs. 

Never before in the history of the U. S. 
ha^^ Negro soldiers, of high rank, been 
given such an oppoitunity as in the Span- 
ish-American war. 

Dr. AutherM. Brown, 

is one of the few Negro military snr- 
g( <ns, who stood out conspiciously for 
rare professionol skill. His life should 
be a stimuluus to every aspiring 
Negro youth. He was born in luibMgii 
N. C, where he attended tlie pultlic 
schools and thus litted himself for tiie 
Fr«siinuin claas of Lincoln I'niveisity 



38 JTIiEBLACK TKOOI'KliS. 

from which school he graduated in 1888. 
After his gradnation at Lincoln, he immed- 
iately went to Ann Arbor, Michio-an, where 
he entered the University of Michigan; here 
he persued his medical ^•t^ldies, delving 
deep into the mysteries of the ^scnlapian 
idea for three years, graduating with high 
honors, in 1891. After phiciJng his M. D. 
degree he settled in Birmingham, Ala., 
practiced, and went into the drug business. 
Shortly after war was declared Dr. 
Brown organized a military company. It 
was not accepted, pro bah, f*'- ai predjudice- 
He was determiiieci. however tc serve liis 
country, and secured the appointment as 
an immune surgeon. Fie proceeded to Cuba 
at once, only to find that yellow fever liad 
abated. He wa appointed assistant sur- 
geon of the 10th. cavalry, and has the 
proud distinction of being the only Negro 
surgeon to serve a regular regiment in 
Cuba. - He was also the sole commander 
c: the gallant Tenth, from Aug. 12, 1898 
TO Oct. 8, 1898, and during that time per- 
fect peace and harmony reigned. He was 
in command when his famous regim -nt 
was reviewed in Washington by the presi- 
dent, immediately upon their return from 
Cuba. 




Dr Author M Uiown, 

Assistant Surgeon i-f tiir lOth. Cavalr), .^"^(.^^^j^ 
Neg^ro Surg-eon n tlif regular army » 






^^ 











Serff't G. W. Bcrrv, lOUi. Cavalry, 
wbo planl.d the colors of the 3rd and [^^^l; /•;;•;;- 
ries on San Juan amidst shot and shell. (Retired 
after 33 years service.) 



« THE BLACK TKOOrERS. ^'^ 

His vim, untiling energy, discriminui- 
ing judgement, irrepressible will power, 
together with his unassuming, digniiic/i 
bearing, will certainly win him a hign 
place in the future history of Afro-Ameii- 
can military affairs. 

V Sergeant Horace W. Bivins, 
is another member of the 10th. Cavalry 
who has made his mark, and who is des- 
tined to luther emblazon his name upon 
the gilded pages of history. He was born 
in Virginia May 9., 1862, and spent the 
first sixteen years of his life on his farther "s 
farm. He attended # night school, ma- 
triculated at Hampton Institute, Hamp- 
ton Va, as a work siudent, and wound 
up his school career at Weyland Semi- 
narv M AN-.'^hington, D. C. He joined 
the Tentli Cavalry June 10. 1888 and was 
immediately jriven a position as clerk in 
the adjutant's office. 

His first record as a marksman wa? 
made in l^Sb, when he was proven to he 
one of the best shots in the army. He 
was promoted to corporal Dec. 15, 1891. 
He ha«? won a .f]rrent many prizes with the n- 
flo. He porfoi ms the wonderful feat of let. 
tin'^abird ily fromeooh hand, then takinprup 



44 THE BLACK TROOPERS. 

a rifle in each hand^and killing them in 
the order they were given their freedom. 
Sergeant Bivins won first prize in the regi- 
mental re-union, held at Ft. Custer, Mont. 
Oct., 1892. In august 1893 hf won the 
first revolver silver medal for the best shot 
with the revolver. In 1894 he won the 
iirot gold medal with a score of 590 out of 
a possible 800 points, and three days later 
he distinguished himself by making the 
lushest score with a revolver on competi- 
tion that has ever been made in the army. 
He was then sent to the Department of 
Dakota to participate in the Army compe- 
titioniJ There he met the finest marksmen 
in the United States Army; and here it 
was that he won, with ease, the first gold 
medal which entitled him to the first rank 
in marksmanship and the best shot in the 
ariiiy at the time. It was the record made 

in this memorable competition that caused 

T 



Xji 



eutenant M. H. Barnum to write, saying: 
''{i\ the year of 1894 Sergeant Horiice W. 
:>ivins distinguished himself as the best 
]lrie shot in the whole army and as one of 
th-3 best pistol shots." 

Sergeant Bivins was transferred to the 
'liistinguished Marksmen's Cli-^ss" and 
\,..6 incbented with the badge worn only 




San Juan Block House, Showings Marks of Shots. 



a* 

o 

3 



3» 



M 



3 

3: 










arq 



O 

< 

•<: 

c 









THE BLACK TROOPERS. 51 

by members of that clas^, which bad^^e 
bars him from every departnifMit competi- 
tion except the one above m'lui uied. 

Geo. h\ Tyriill 
u one of the best musical direcK rs in the 
11 . S. Army. He is the leader of the band, 
t..mposed of 25 artists, of the 10th. cavalr} . 
Besides being a groat Band Master, he is a 
composer of wonderful talent. His com- 
positions are entrancing and exhilarating 
in the highest degree. Captain Tyrrell 
was born in Eagland, at which time his 
father was in the English army, so you see 
became of fighting stock. His future rep- 
utation as a soldier-musican is secure. 

Private Robert I. Drake 
is another member of the famous Tenth, 
whose history should cause every patirotic 
Negro's heart to feel proud. He is intel- 
ligent and highly educated: an athlete 
and orator of no mean ability. After en- 
listing with Troop (j,. Tenth cavalry in 
1898, he was held for special duty in the 
Tj. g _a deserving compliment to his ex- 
ecutive ability. 

The following is a bit of reminiscences, 
u)ld by 1st sergeant;. James C. Williams, 
Troop M. 10th. cavalry, of their Cuban cx- 
p^rieDce. It IS ^ Cine vindication of ilie 



52 THE BLACK TROOrERS. 

Negro's sticktouiveiiess as a so.diers; — 

"On the 8th. day .J: June 18'»S a small body of 
cavalrymen nuiuoeiin;^ 50 left JLakelaud, Fla and 
proceeded to l^ort i arapa, Fla. where they em- 
barked for Cuud on the Transport Florida and sailed 
to a point on the Souch-western coast of the island 
of Cuba, aftt-r makini>- a futle attempt to land at 
the moutii of San Juin river, they proceeded to Tu- 
nis where the transport ran aj^round. At this place 
a reconiioitering- party of Cubans was sent out but 
thev were ambushed by Spanish reg-ulars and had 
one captain killed and 7 enlisted men wounded 
While strande^ on this sand bar, the transport 
Florida was within the ranges of the Spanish bat- 
tery and it seemed as if this little band of heroes 
were doomed to find a watery grave on the coast of 
Cuba when the Gunboat Helena hove into sig-ht 
bringing- joy to these heroes and destruction to ttie 
Spanish, Clearing themselves from the sand bar 
they were compelled to proceed to the south-west- 
ern coast of the Island and there landing and join- 
ing General Gomez's army and marching into Santa 
Clara Province, they participated in the capture of 
Kl Hebro thereby capturing stores and munitions of 
war that were a Godsend to the starving Cuban army 
winning to themselve the admiration of the Com- 
mander-in-Chief of the Cuban forces 

It was immediately after this fight that th(^ com- 
mand of this body of men known as Troop M 10th. 
Cavalry, devolved upon its 1st. Sergeant Lewis 
Smith, I think that this is the first instance in the 
history oi our republic where a Negro has been 
placed in full command of the United States forces 
on foreign land. Sergeant Smith was born atWar- 
rentown Virtrinia July 15, 1854. At the age of 21 he 
enlisted in Troop I U. S. Cavalry and has been 
Corporal Sergeant and 1st.'. Sergeant at various 
times since Jst enlistment. Re has participated in 
numerous Indain campaigns against hostile Indians 
in the states of Texas, Arizona, Idaho, Indian Ter- 



THK BLACK TKOOPKIls. •> ' 

ritorj and other slates. He led his troop into tbc 
fii4tii ol' Royal Blanco la«t summer, Sergeant Smith 
had no assistance of any nature whatever from the 
United States.". For more than two months he was 
cut off from :ill communication with the war de:art- 
n^coi ;i..a U>v ihe last fifteen days on the Islam had 
to subsist upon green corn, pumpkins, and aJiga- 
tors, they did not have salt to season these unsavo- 
ry dishes with. After remaining- on the Island for 
about three months they embarked for Mor'auk 
Point, New York, and arrived there Sept. .7^st- 
1898..: The casualities of the tri;- was oat msB ic#:; 
in Cuitui 



CHAPTER VIII. 

The 24th. Infantry. 

ripHERE are many reasons why the 24th 

^ Infantry U. S. Regulars come in for 

>^^ special mention and praise for their 

conduct around Santiago.- A capt-ain of 

regulars, an board the transport with Ee^. 

Astwood, A. M. E. Missionary, remarked: 

"We may blow all we want to, but the victory at 
San Juan belongs to the colored boys. 1 was 
there," he said, "and for my part, I would not be so 
mean as to rob them of it. 'When they dashed up 
the hill, the Roug-h Ribers and the7ls't," he said, 
"were g-one, our boys were beat, and but for' the 
colored boys we would have been completely anni- 
hilated.". They won the day." Thomas Bowles, of 
the Hospital corps, a white man from Herlford, 
North Carolina, said to him on the Serg-urancia, 
"Rev. Astwood, I shall never forget the bravery 
of the colored soldiers." He said they were forging" 
along the death angle, when a white comrade fell 
wounded. He was left by his company, and was 
calling in the agonies of death for help; they did 
not stop for him; just as he fell, two colored boys 
of the 24th, one wounded in the foot and one in the 
lung, hobbled by, stooped down and picl<ed up thier 
white comrade and brought him to the rear. For 
thi-^ act he said," I will always stand by the colored 
man." 

May he eyer keep his yowl What Spa; (an 



THE BLACK TKtMil'hKs. 



O.) 



courage! What self sacrifice— they them- 
selves at the point of death," yet forgot 
their own agonies to help a comrade! Words 
fail when I attempt to do justice to such 
brave soldiers.. Verily, the Negro species 
furnish as great soldiers as the world has 
ever seen, oris likely to see in tlie future. 
It may be of interest to some to know the 
feelings of a soldier on going into the bat- 
tle, of San Juan, July 1, 1898, as told by 
J. W. Galaway of the 24th. 

'Vluirly on the afternoon of June 30, the 
day before the San Juan stiuggle. the 
rumor went the rounds of camp that the 
army was to move closei' ( n to Sauriago. 
The boys at once began to speculate on 
what was to happen as to the result of mov- 
ing nearer the stronghold of the eneniy; 
some ventured this and that and others 
grew apprehensive and could be seen soon 
after hurriedly penning a missive home as 
a probable last communication. «» 

That my state of feeling was not that of 
fear, but suspense, c. I was not afraid to go 
into battle, but anxious a.s to the future; 
not scared, but anticipatory, i wt)ndered 
as tothe thorughness of the i;i\'paration, 
whether we were ready to meet an enemy 
who had been preparing a defense before 



56 THE BLACK TROOPERS. 

we thoug'ht of learing our post on such a 
mission. This is somewhat how I felt on 
that afternoon and believe that this feeling 
was general thoughout the command. But 
the next day, what was that to bring? 

The call sounded about 8:30 p. m., 
camp was broken and the whole Fith Army 
Corps was on the move. ^ We were fiom 
half past three o' clock till nearly twelve 
that night going two and a half miles. It 
is but natural that on such a slow march 
one's mind runs to sea and dreams of what 
is to be. v I confess that at times I became 
melancholy and apprehensive as to my fate, 
but it was not from fear, but suspense, t T 
wanted the thing over with; wanted to go 
in and do what we had to do and be done 
with it, not to be dilly-dallyijig along, 
camping here and there. Fight we must 
and why not hurry with it, come what may? 
This is the feeling that hovered in the 
breasts of the ones who were to decide the 
fate of the Stars and Stripes. We went 
into camp on the night of June 30th the 
tiredest set of chaps I believe it possible 
to be gotten together. 

The morning of July 1, awoke as pretty 
as 1 believe it possible for sunshine and 



I 




Trumpeter James Paine, 

24th -Infantrj, who sounded the famous c*H th*t 
sent hiH regiment bounciii:.; up ^au Juan like wild 
men. 



I ■ ' 



^^ THE BLACK TKOoPERS. 59 

blue azure to make it. Hurriedly we i)re' 
pared our breakfast of hjiid tack and salt 
pork that we uiight be prepared w hen the 
call to ^'strike" camp vva.; sounded, foi- I 
knew we had a task b<^r >:e us tha? (l,;y. 1 
felt it, thoi!g-h no oi:(' si>oke of our ^roin^ 
into battle even if t}j<y ki.ew that .1.1 that 
day we v»ere to be<:!n upon a work the 
c>;iolusioti of which jio one knew. Why 
I was so melancholy, so sad and serious iu 
mind and sou) that morning, 1 have so 
cften since tried to picture to myself the 
answer. - Jnit tliat tiie condiiioji of feeling 
was oh"C 01 extreme susjjciise only and 
only needed a sudden siair upon the act 
in view to break it, (a f^'el:i:g so often felt 
by those going on a journey who are impa- 
tient and anxious as to v,iier!»er their train, 
or the hour at which it is (]■.•■, will ever 
arrive.) At 6:10 a. m., when t\\e first gun 
of Capron's bait^'i y sounded the opening 
peal of the battle, .la entirely new feeling 
came over me; one of dare devil Inavery, 
eager for the fray; willing to go jnto the 
fight and be shot down. In fact, 1 felt as 
though I loved the idea of being sh<;t at. 
I had been held in a state of suspense as 
to when we were to try conclusions'with 
tLiQ Dons and as to the fa e of tlie army of 



60 THE BLACK TROOPERS. 

invasion; but now, relieved of that, I was 
anxious. I had been a witness to the fleet 
engagement* with the land batteries* on 
June 22, but now I was a:»::ious to see men 
actually face each other^as 1 had so often 
seen in pictures a'nd read about in descrip- 
tions of battles, etc., befo.ro I left home 
years ago to become a "soldier 
^\ Eight o'clock came; thf brigade trump* 
eter came from his hive 1r> express to us 
the command of tbe brig: (ir con;marder. 
A few. miiiiitcs later v, - l'i;;d ''stiuck'' 
camp and were in the road vn our wny to 
the bactieHeid. 

The battc'ry p^uns above VA Caney con- 
tinned to l)()oiii! !)Oom! wi':i a huinan in- 
teliigvMice, cippe-iiliiig to the boys, telling 
them tnat tliey Jiad begun the task that 
would try every inch of their souls to com- 
plete. Tliuuglrtiui we grew then indeed, 
for as we niuv^d up the road v;e could 
hear the sharp, decisive ri;.g of the mus- 
ketry of those tiiat had pie eded iis. 
Boon we met friends of uthur regimen 1 3 
wounded and b^dng carried to the rear. 
<*i lie intense heat had caused a breathleess 
Silence to come over the ranks; the rattle of 
the tin cups agaiust thescabbarded bayonet 
was more soiina than any funeral dirge I 



..x.f^'^^^^e^ 




Corp. fJeo. Ilutton, *i Itli Infantry 

Recommended for :i coniiB^ssion as 2nd Lieutenant 
for bravery in the charge up San Juan Hill. 



THB BLACK PROOl'KRS. . » 63 

have ever heard; the colonel rode at the 
head of the column, solomn,* serious and 
majestic. Everything- seemed to aid in <j:iv- 
inif a deep sad imi)ie>u)ii to the day. W e 
all had vigorously elieeicd at tlio first 
sound of the cannon tluir moining, hiirnow 
we were coming close r» rlie^scene of nctioii 
no one seemed to dare open his liiout'i. 
Grimes' battery was just aliead, pouring 
at the enemy its most deadly contents and 
the noise it made as we came ui der it was 
enough to divide the strong;- fioni the weak. 
Here we disrobed, throwing olf our blanket 
roll, etc., and only taking witii us into the 
fiffht such as was necessary to life 
(if spared,) ration bag (haversack) and 
water can (canteen), we had now come to 
the real point of actior., at rlace where a 
maa is unable to describe the pulsations of 
his bosom; to decido wliether ne is fright- 
ened and afraid to .h) ins duty, or posess- 
ed of bravery that leads hiin either to a 
command or a grave. ' Willi all the exeit- 
nunt and confusion of the day impressing 
itself uiMHi me, 1 yet thought of my feel- 
ings. > I had for two days nursed it. and 
uuw had ome to stay; it would not be dis- 
placed, try hard as 1 might. The.iuestion 
wliether 1 was a coNvaid and afraid to do 



64 THE BLACK TROOPERS. ; ■ 

my duty haunted uie, and was I equal to 
the occasion? Ah, suspense, to you was 
due all my agony of feeling in my first les- 
sons of real war! 

''Forward!" At the commend my bosom 
swelled and all that was best in me came 
rushing forth. " I have fouglit fright aid 
cowardice and have won. An intense feel- 
ling of pride came ovcc n.( , and bullc rs 
rained like hail and men fellcvLrywhere. i 
was no longer afraid, and ti.at evening, up- 
on San Juan, I breathed a silent prayer 
that I had been a man and felt that I had 
dor. e my duty fearlessly.'; v 



t^^r-^ 




Sergeant Major B. F. S« vre, 
who was noticed for "coospi«uo«is Iwa^ery and 

coolness on H^e ticM "i battle" at Snntintro. nnd 
proiiT ic<l, 



CHAPTEK IX. 
The '^4th. Coiitiiiued 

The 24tli. as Yellow i^EVER Nurses. 



Tti OT dlone in battle was the ineu of the 
■^^ 24th. extra serviceable, tmt wlien the 
-♦•-^^ seoLirge ol* yellow fever made Its ap- 
pearance in camp, v\ heiiit wasm -re danger- 
ous to nurse the ick than to face Si)Hnisii 
bullets, they were not found wantin;^-. Re- 
member, there is no piophylaxis for yeih)w 
fever as there is for sinall-pox in the way of 
vaccination. The pest had made its appear- 
ance m camp, some one must nurse tiiem. 
Thecall was made for 65 volunteer muses. 
"^A'ho would answer, ''Send nie, se)id 
nie." 'J'l.is work was considr-i-ed more 
li. zardous even than the sinking- of the 
collier Merrimac atthemout : ul :he Santi- 
ago Bay by assistant naval ( oi st' nc< or Hob- 
son and his valient crew, ^.oy iistanding 
the sta^ii-erin;^: dieraand, 65iiur..js fr(»m the 
24th, hii..ntry readily volume, ved for ser- 
vice. •* 'riiis was a cnif ial te^i. of the met- 
al oC i.iv m^n nmx ;;;. swxiouj^ juuiueut in- 



70^ TEE BLACK TKropEK'^. 

deed. From one compan.v aiuiie 15 gal- 
lant fellows responde<{ and this fine ex- 
ample soon produced mote than were 
needed for the piii'pose. , 

By the end of July yellow, fever had 
over run all the hospitals most of the 65 
voltihteev nui'ses, 'surj^eohs, cooks, etc., 
were patients. Still others From the i-anks 
vo'unteered to g'o into rbo ' '^Valley and 
Shadow of Death" — yea, death itself. 

This was at Sibony, and it is a fact that, 
during the 40 days the 24th. was stationed 
there, not a murmer was heard from a 
single mai, ^ This is a j^vUtwing tribute to 
Negro soldiery. It sh(»ws his abilty as 
being able to tui'u fi'oni the field of sti'ife 
and blood shed, to that of humanity, from 
that of killing to succorin,i;' rhe dying. 
The 24th. Infantry, in its three days fight- 
ing, preceeding the truee. lost 9.S officers 
and meakilled and wounded, all but two 
of these being lost in the eharge up San 
Juan Hill, July 1st. Ar one time 430 men 
were on the sick list-vieri)iis of the disease 
of the patients among whom they were 
working. 



♦■f 



( 11 vrii:i{ \ 

Iv. VUv 1 I «'iwhes lU'tor*' Sjint ia-* 

T would r;i \ tile pen uf a 1' rcdt'iick 
Douglas to correctly portray the liard- 
ships, or it would take the tongue of a 
Wendell Phillips to properly paint the ex- 
treme fortitude, which rose to the height 
of suhlimity, experienced by tlie colored 
soldiers as they lay in the trenches befon- 
Santiago, from July 1st. U> July 4th.— 
part of the tiin^- fighting, aga in in almost 
'o)-eathless Mi-i»ense, while the rail' 
"poured" and rlie heat almost as intens<' 
as if it were rii«' fragments from Hades 
blasts. 

The foUowiiii: is a pen picture, drawn b\ 
Sergeant— Majoi- B. F. Sayer of Co. (-, 
himself noticrd for ''conspicou> bravery 
and coolness on the field of battle" and ar 
coidlingly promoted from the position ot 
corporal of ("<•• <\ to the i)ost (»f Sergeant- 
Major of thr i^-lth. Infantry. N<»thin- 
tlirills the s(.i;!< of people more than «> di> 
ciiption, hy oiM- w l.o actualx i ; rtii-ii at« « 
in the '-n au-'-'v-rt . Wi^h t)n> ever w 



Y9 THE BLACK TROOPERS. 

view, and in order to lend authority to 
these acctjuiits, the author has purposely 
included these personal ri niiiuscenees. 
Sergt. -Major 8ayer, in speaking of his 
e.xjerience, m the trenches, says, (New 
york Age;):— 

•'We broke camp on the morning- of the 1st. The 
battlf began at 5 :3U A. M. 'between the :id\ance 
army of Cubans and the Ninth Cavalry on one side 
and the Spanaras. We could plainly hear the sharp 
crackling- of small arms and the roar and boom of the 
cannons as we were making- our blanket rolls, and 
the thoug-ht that we were g"oing- straig-ht to the 
front, and that, perhaps, this mig-ht be the last l>reak 
fast we should take on earth for many of us, sob- 
ered the most irrepressible. 

,Ve had. to march insing'le file throug^h a narrow 
muie path, shut in by dense woods and jungle on 
each side. As we drew near the firing- line bullets 
beg'an to liiss across the road, and a number of our 
men hit and a few killed witliout even seeing- the foe 
or firing a shot in return. We passed a number of 
troops lying- down behind trees and bushes as for 
shelter: but our order wastog-oto the front. The 
road led into a stream which was quite deep, the 
water reai-hing- up to my arm pits. We waded this 
under a heavy fire an"" climbed the steep, sli])pery 
bank on the other side, cut the barbed wire fences 
(which are met with everywhere in this country) 
and found ourselves in a great field of g-rass, five or 
six feet tall, full of larg-e trees?. About half a 
mile -across this field rose a hig-h, steep . Ii i 1 1 
(Sai^'Juan) with three block houses on the crest. 
It was from these and the intrenchments all along- 
the top of this hill that the Spaniards were firing- 
while the thick brush nt the foot of it was lined 
with them, and nearly every tree that could afford 



THE BLACK TROOPERS. ^c5 

concealtneni contauicd oue or nioro sharpsli(;t»ti i -.. 

Our mjn chari>e«l rig-ht across with magnilic*. 1. 1 
■;ecklessncss and daring- and tlie Spanards bog'an it» 
run. Kij,'^ht up the hill we went and they took lo 
their heels, leavino- tlK'ir dead and wounded behind. 
We poured a I'ulisade of shots into them as they ran 
and dodged in llir underbrush until they g^aincd the 
shelter of their thirdline of entreni-hment, abc>iit 
eight hundred yard^ away, just on the outskirts of 
the city, where they made a stand and foug-ht us all 
that day till darU. 

The battle wa-; renewed before daybreak the no.xt 
morning- and continued without ceasing- till 111*. .M. 
The next morning- (Sunday) there was some little 
shooting- but about noon this ceased and we were 
g-lad to g-et a chance to fortify our position, which is 
one of the best imaginable from a strateg-etic stand- 
point, and when the Spaniards lost it they were 
practicaly whipped. They fig-ht strictly on the 
defensive from intrenchments and retreat from one 
to another when hard pressed. 

They had prepared these defenses months before 
and they knew to a certainty the exact di.-.tan(-e 
from one point to another. They are fair shots too 
and they had the advantag-e over us at first becaust- 
they had us in view all the timo and knew exactly 
how to sight tht'ir rifles, while for a long- time w« 
did not know wliere they were concealed; and then, 
too, thicr sh irpshooters in the trees were not discov- 
ertd till after :i number of our men and officers had 
been killed 'Ih*^ officers particularly had beiii 
singled out as targ-ets and the loss among them was 
sevre. The first dav we lost over 1,500 killed and 
wounded. The enemy's loss must have been veiy 
g-reat in the three days fig-hting, for our men bur- 
ied over ,500, and one can see bodies lying- in tin- 
g-rass between us and ihera The stench is almost 
unbearable." 

It must have been sickening beyond ties- 



-^4 THE BLAClv TROOPERS. 

cription, as our soldieivs ucc-upied the tren- 
dies, as the Spaniards fell hack — leaving 
hundreds of human carcasses, to fui-nish 
iironia for their respirarory appai-ntus, and 
this too, under tl^^ tiopical nixn and nn^ii^ij 
^tmosphcie of Cuba. - - 



o 



n 
P- 

C/3 
ft 



M 
»> 



arc 

o 




CHAPTER XI. 
The *^5th Inliuitry. 

How El Caney Was Won. 



IIHE 25th. Re-iiueiit displtived r e- 
-^ markable bravery in tlu* l-attlcol F.l 
♦♦> Caney. After all of tlicir comii s- 
sioned white officers were either killed )r 
lay welteriBg in their life blood, and tlieie 
was DO one to conamand them, brave S W. 
Taliaferro, (col.) 1st. Ser-eant. Co., C 
took coiiimand and led his company to vic- 
tory. The following vivid description i i 
tbat memorable conflict was j^Mven 1 y xM. 
W.. Saddler Ist b>ergeant of company 1 
himself a participant, in a communieatiun 
to the New York Age:— 

-On the moraine of July 1, our re^inient. after hav- 
iuj. Viepl in one par. of ihc ni^hl with stones lur 
pillows and heads resting in hands, arose at the 
(l:,wn of dav, without a morsel to eat, fernied line, 
ii .fter a" half day of hard marchinj^ sucaeded lu 
re.v Mini.- the blood^ battle jrround of El ("anev. 
\N e w. re ii. the last brigade of our division. As we 
were marehinjr up we met regiments ut our com- 
rades in Nvhue retreating from the Spanish ^Irong- 
l„>ld Asw. presf«e.l torward all the reply tiiat. 
i-;.niefrr.m therrtirinsr >oldiers was: /I here M no 
use to advance fuiherl The Spaniards are .- 
treiA he.i and in buKkhouses. You are runnmp o 
sudden death.' Hut with.M.t a falter did our b. • •' 
men continue to press un to the front. _ 



78 THE BLACK TROOPERS. 

In a fe«' moint-nts the debirtu j.osition wns 
reached. (;"• i lie first battalioti ot the 'I wentj fitih 
iiilantrj, cuiiiposed of Cou.}»iiriies C, Li, <jr and, i*. 
was crdered tt) form the finug- line in prclertnce to 
oilier regiments, though their comnitinders were, 
senior toours. But no sooner w.js the coumiand 
given than the executitm begJin. A ihousaud 
vards distance to the north, lay the enemy, 2,000 
s.rong, in intrenchments hewn out oi solid sioue. 
Un each end of the breastwork* were stone Mock 
kuuses. Our regiment numbered 507 men all told. 
^^ e advanced about 200 yards, under cover ui 
junijles and ravins. Then came the trA'ing moment. 
The clear batliefield was reached. 1 lie enemv 
uegan showering down on us v.olleys from 
"ueir fortification and numberless sharpsiioolcrs 
iiid away in palm trees and others places of conceal- 
ment. Our men began to fall, many of them never 
to rise again, but so sturdy was the advance and so 
effective was our lire, that the Spaniards became 
unnerved and began over shooting" us. ^^'hei; tiie}- 
saw we were 'colored soldiers,' they kitw their 
doom was sealed 'I'hey were afraid to put their 
heads above the brink (^ their intrenchment, for 
every time a head was raised there was one Span- 
iard less. The advance was continued uniill we 
'were within about 150 yards of the intrencliment, 
then came the solmn command, 'Charge ' Kvery 
man was up and rushing forward at headlong- 
speed over the barbed wire and into the intrench- 
ment. aud the Twenty-fifth carried the much cov- 
eted position. 

' < )ur loses were as follows: Company A — wounded 
Sergeant Stephens H. Brown, Private V.'ihiam 
Clark. Company B- — killed. Private French PaMie; 
wounded, Private Thomas Brown. Company C — 
v,oundeed, Private Jos T^ Johnson, Samuel W. Hoi - 
!ev, John H Boyd Con-pany D — killed. Private 
'"'"m Howe, John B Phelps. John W. Steele; 
Wounded, Sergeant Hayaen Richards, Privates 



THK BLACK TRodI'MiS. (\> 

Rob rt Goodwin, Andrew Smith Company E — 
W(.)unded. Privates Huj^-h Swaiiu. David (Jiiliiiin, 
John Sadler and James Howinl. Company !■' - 
wounded. First Seryeant Frank loleman. Private 
William Lalayette. Company G— killed. Private 
Aron Iveflwich; wounded. Privates Alvin Daniels, 
Cenjamin Doug'lass, (^'orge P. Cooper and John 
Thomas. Company H — killed. Corporal lunj.imin 
Cousins, Private Albert Strothers; wounded. lUnry 
Gilbert, William Hevels and Kdward Foreman. 
Officers — killed. Second Lieutenant H. 1- McCorkle; 
wounded. Captain Eaton A. Kdwards, Lieutenants 
Kennison and Murdock." 

Tile personnel of the 25th. is leiiimiciMy 
good. The sohliei's take great dclii^vhr in 
the liohors of thcii- regiment — and 1>\ tlie 
way, military honois mean sometlmig. 

''Keniember the Maine'' was the hatrle 
cry oi' the navy. The men of the 2r)rii., 
however, led the army in rh''ir paraphi:!-^^' 
of the chorns of *'A hot time in ili- ".d 
town to night. " 

They termed it, wliich is as f«dl«'U-;^ 
HOT TIME IN (1 liA SO.Mi: MCilCr. 



Since the Spaniatd^ have tramp'.ed on our name, 
Have starved m.tt-' Cub^!•^ ai:d l.iown i.p -'Ur 

ship, the Maine, 
We'll dig them up in Cu. ;'. ai.d we'll rot a\<r 

there in A'ain, 
There'll be a hot tir.ie in t :.i.a ^onu- nisiht. 

^^'llen we march iii. )K iv. r.;i '.xiiii the Cubans on 

the run -, 
We'll show them <|"ite a ihin^ "i .wn, Ji..i ne.w 

reallightinj^'rj uuiic; 



Of) 

"^ THE BLACK TROOPERS. 

The Twenty fifth will lead the van, be first in all 

me fun; 
And Spaniards will sizzle that nig-ht. • 

Spain has tried to fool with us, and make a little 

bluff, 
Wiien run ag-ainst our navj, they'll be handled 

niiyhty rough. 
J>ut when they strike- the Twenty-fifth they soon 

will have enough; 
There'll be a hot time for Spaniards that niffht. 

And they made it hot too. 
JIOWJTIS SUNG. 

'^o get the fall affect of the song, one 
}ia> n» hear it when the soldiers are lying 
around on the grownd between 6 and 9 at 
night. Every man knows the words, and 
groups aruund, guitar and banjo players be- 
gin to sing. First one or two, then a sec- 
ond, and third, until the whole regiment 
is singing the tune. * 

If the Negro's voice is anything, it is 
m isical. How entrancing must have been 
t'l )se strains of music as they pealed forth 
'tii^ if touched by the gods! 

Before they sailed for Cuba, and while 
at Gamp Boynton, Chicamauga Park, Ga., 
near Chattanooga, a white visitor, in 
speaking of the discipline of the 25th, 
said; — 

"Battalion drill was held here yesterday 
afternoon. The companies were formed 




^i!:^ft^^tl 



"';i;>i''''i'!'''^ii!!l!iriI!!!il'li!i!!i;ii!iri'Tn;n:::r;nir!'i 




1 lir HLACK rUodPKRS M") 

ill ijiiik l>y the (';ipr.(iii» aiiti rlu-ii iiuiicht'd 
lip 111 frciir of ('(>1. Hiirr'< h('a(l(iiiarrers. 
The liiiy-e c'oloi- lieaier. and a colored i^naiit 
of a private stepped forwai'd. and l)altiii«,% 
saluted. The re^-iinental colois, a liraii- 
tifiil silk Stars and Stripe'^, with 'Twmty- 
hfrh infantry, C S. A.' in Mur h'ttcrs on 
rhe revei'se, in one of the white line^, was 
hrou^^'ht from the C<)h)ner^ tent, it was 
u if.irle I an I the stiif hree/c made it srand 
>ri'ain'hr out. Wavinii' it twice, rhe (-(dor 
i>,Mrei' tni'ned and niar(d)e<l aci'o^^ rhe 
litdd, e'luii'ded Ity the piivate The hand 
s.riiek up tile Iligii Seiio(d Cadets and 
tii<-' men resisted witii diificulty tiie thiiil 
of eiithii<ia-in whicli made exci'y |>rivare 
'iri/.en on rlie li'round i-ai^^e his hat and 
(dieer lii-rily. 

' rhere"> the kind (d' pei-formance rhat 
iiiake- i»arrinri>ni. " said a hysrandei'. 'Ir 
hisdii;ie iiic iiinie iidod than twct ilo/eil 
>ei-nioii«.. 

Till-: HATTALloN hiiii.L. 

lie niinle >imilar comment wlieii ( 'oj. 
iMii't had tile men .n doiilth' hie stretchinn" 
across, perhaps, two city hl(»(d<-. I'iie 
^leami.iu' of lia* setting miii made the dark 
faces look like In'on/.e. -\uf a moxcnieiit 
wa> jioticealde until the c(mimand, 'lii;^hr 



o6 THE BLACK TP'OPERS. 

Slioiilder Ann!' rauii out, and tiK cotton* 
gloved hands pas ed over the blue coats 
and fell back again, as though son)t .. one 
Wiis I'unnin^- the whole movement by pull- 
ing- a string-. For a well drilled regiment 
the boys from Montana can take4'ank with 
the best in the army." 



PART TT. 

VOI.rM i;i.l{ SOMMKK'S 



k 



CHAPTER XII. 
Volimteer Soldiers. 

THE Negro lias t'uuglit for the elevation 
and maintainance of the Stars and 

AAA 

-♦-♦^ Stripes for centuries, in fact as long as 
any other inhabitant of the Amei'ican Con" 
tiuent. It was he who first shed his blood 
foi- the first American Independence; It 
was he who turned the tide of battle at 
New Orleans: and his unbending courage 
and indefatigable work saved the Union, 
freed the Slaves, and forever saved the 
South from a condition of industrial and 
commercial stagnation, by throwing its 
owners, the white man, upon his own re- 
sources. Who can say that the I'liion 
could have been preseiv('<l Imd nor over 
150,000 brave Xegi-o scldicis Ix'cn eiil -<ted 
in its cause? 

The Negi'o had pinvcii a decidt'd succes? 
as a soldier, iioi mily in the defense of 
America, but elsewhere. Negro officers 
as well as soldiers, had shared the perils 



92 THE BLACK TROOPERS. 

and glories of the campaigns of Kapoleon 
Bonaparte; and even the Royal Guard at 
the Court of Imperial France had b e eu 
mounted with black soldiers. 

In three wars on the American Conti- 
nent, the Negro's military ability had won 
the admiration and respect, not only of 
Americans, but Britishers — foi- they had 
a battilion of blacks, from San Domingo, 
in the battle of New Orleans — Not only 
Britishers, but of the world, for did not 
L'Ouverture and Dessalines put to route; 
even Napoleon? 

The Burning Question. 

In veiw of these facts, and ever keeping 
in mind that the Negro had fulfilled all of 
the requirements of American military rule; 
the question of Negro soldiers being com- 
manded by Negro commissioned officers 
became both pertinent and prominent. 
This agitation was carried on by almost 
the entire Negro Press. Foremost among 
these agitatois was John Mitchell, Jr., of 
rhe Richmond Planet. 

riis motto was ''No officers no fight." 
jle did . not mean that the Negro 
was not loyal to his country but that, the 
man who had rendered valuable service:: in 




The Haitian Fl;!}^- 
Made fain .us because the Si>...uards did not re 



ck 



treat untu tUcy though iher ^y,^->/ ,^' '' ,„ 
Haitiansof whose citizenship this Uaf,' is the un 
blem. The top stripe is l,Uie. the bottom red. 



THE BLACK TKUOl'KKS. 95 

the defense of his country, from the Kev- 
olution untill now should not be debarred 
from wearing shoulder straps simply on ec- 
counr his color. The Negro's loyalty b.as 
Ix'en proven upon an hundred battlefield— 
the cry of their blood from the besmeared 
eminences of Bunker Hill to the belea^Mier 
ed city of Petersburg attested this fact. 
The war department, apparently out or 
respect to the predjudice of some Negro- 
hating Southern journals, was not in favor 
of Negro commissioned officers, and ac- 
cordingly,' appointed none. 
In speaking of the Negro's promotion from 
the ranks, Mrs. Victora E. Matthews, 
after visiting the Regulars, at Camp 
Wickoff; writes the New York Age as 

jrHows: — 

''Instead of stopping to wonder if tlic 
i/iack soldier has done the nine hundred 
jiiul ninety-nine things that a black solditM- 
would have to do before being even con- 
sidered by a prejudiced board as one fit to 
aspire for promotion, the situation should 
be viewed as it is. Some of the saddest sto- 
ries that could be amagincd fell from the 
lips of men hardly able to say three words 
without halting for iMcath, in New York 
hospitals, in cam] . v.ud at such places as 



96 THE BLACK TROOPERS. 

Hampton, Ya. Man> men, now dead, said 
to me that not]i'tig but the hope to get 
home to tell soni( one of their own race what 
they had ert<!ined kept them aiive during 
the awful vu\ ofi<- home; how oilicers whom 
they had sworn ro follow had bubjected 
them to needleSv-' wardship, and neglect. 

I saw menwhomif they were white would 
have been covered almost from head to 
feet with medals for gallantry, actually sob 
like children at the mere effort to recall the 
scenes through which they had passed. One 
man who had seen twenty-eight years in the 
service,— and who was one of t!ie first who 
entered Richmond after its fall — his ex- 
I>"rience was terrible he could not talk,— 
* ^3ople, words won't do! People, listen, 
Andersonville was nothing beside it.' His 
tears ran like rain down his sunivcn face. 
li '^ is dead now. 

Tliere are many reasons why whit^ offi- 
cers don't want any of the black lighters 
elf'vated. Many reasons why a black man 
when applying for promotion is rigorously 
subjected to every inch of existing law 
regarding examination, while any white 
youngster from the rank or civil life, 
whose-- father may have a little prestige 
Or pull with the powers that be, can be ap- 




Ex-Lieulenant H. O. Flipper First colored 
Graduitc'from West Point Mil.t.-irv .\cad..'m>. 
NowsiKVMlAKentDept Jasuce a.ui .nu-rpr.t.r 
of Spanish and Mexican Lany:uageK 



pointed to potiitioLs as high as secoDd lieu- 
tenancy over battle scarred, but black h»»- 
roes! Is this righty — if it is let us be dumb 
and accept contempts and inhuman tieat- 
nient with humbleness and other cowardly 
attributes. . If it is not lot a No!! be thun- 
dered forth so that the heads of the 
Nation will hear it. 

\\ hite men know that black nu n have 
'. -r :ill faith in them when it comts to ai - 
])lying the principles of universal brother- 
hood to blackmen. They know that the da v 
of white leadership over black men has 
passed. « It is in the stage that the crushed 
snake is that will hold on to life, will la^n 
the air vindictively until sundown, butdie 
it must. The claim that the black peoj.le 
a;re white hero worsh!{»ets falls flat on even 
the most sentimental. There is no ques- 
tion in an.A unprejudiced mind as to the 
black man's fitness to lead. That is unt 
the obstacle in the way of makin^^ an officer 
of him in the regulai- army. The world 
knows he can fight, but United States' army 
officers do not want to know that he can I'e 
a gentleman! The thing now agitating 
army circles is not that he will bring dis- 
grace on the service by offiic(MS ineffirincy 
not that, but the (j I. • - ioi. i- niiist a >\hite 



l()() THE BLACK TROOPERS. 

() nicer treat a black officer as a gentlema ':" 
That is the Gibraltar barring his progre>.~. 
For that reason men likely to be a sonic c 
of hnmiliation to his black comrades mic 
chosen to stand as examples of the aspiring 
men of the regiment. Men of refinen ei't 
good breeding, and character, are kept down 
by a system as repnlsive to the senses as is 
cowardly in principle. No service rendeieci 
by the government can level this barriei-- 
The black soldiers are helpless. Nothiiig 
bnt the creation of a pnblic sentiment that 
will hound coloi' hating officers cut of tlu* 
service can open'the door of promotion and 
fair dealing for then. Every man and wo- 
man who feels a spark of just pride in tlie 
fame of oni- intrepid fighters should help 
in foi'cing the war department to consider 
these things and in making the distinguish- 
ed head of our government know that ten 
mi lion people are thinking this way and in 
til ^ way and in teaching the children, as 
did Hamilcar, young Hannibal, what theii- 
rights are, though the fathers submit now 
to oppression." 

Believing it just that Negio officers shcjuid 
command Negro volunteers, several Negi'o 
soldiei's mutiiicd wl;;'!! white o^cel•^ 



THE BLACK TROOPERS. Ill' 

Avf^ro about to be forced iip(->n tlu'in: iio- 
taUle among these iiiutiners, wne a cnin- 
pany tliat was leciiiitedat M<>l>il»' A la., 
and the 6th. Va., which we shall iicrcmaf- 
ter notice. 

A few leading papers, at the Xmth 
spoke favoiably of coniniissioiied ^^c^m 
otficcMs. 1 say a few, because the autlutr 
must admit, with re<?i-et, that he dcK's imt 
believe tfie people of the L' .S. have ap- 
proached near enough that Utopian mellcii- 
nialism, that would induce tliem to treat 
their hrorher in black with equal fairn«'ss. 
At tirst the North and 8outh seemed ahouc 
equally divided. 

The New York Evenins^ Post said: — 
. "Tne idea of enlistuii^ Negroes in the 
Sjuth for seivice in Cuba seems to he lu 
favoi- among the wtiites. 

The Me-w Orleans rici;}une says tl.j.i t 
has been repeatedly e>iablished hy e\p<r- 
ience that the JSegnes of that section me 
much less subject n iw lcv(is hroughi; 
there from tropical* tcnntrio than thf 
whites, and, even when attacked hy U'l- 
low fever, suffer less than do the whites; 
which it explains on the ginnnd that tht y 
belong to a tropical race, and >iill rct;i:ii 
the''constituti(jiiai peculiai ities which an* 



102 THE BLACK TROOPERS. 

commoTT to t^r^ir kind. It recalls tVint, 
when the Spaniards after they had discov- 
ered and conquered the new world, tried 
to make the native Indians dig gold out of 
the mines for them, so many died that it 
was found necessary to import Negroes 
from A "i.^a, who proved able to stand the 
suain^^'The Picayune thinks that, if the 
Tropical possessions of the Spaniards in ei- 
ther the P^Hst or West Indies, or both, are 
to be conqured and held by the United 
J^'are^, Negi'o troops will be of tiic utmost 
importance for that service; and it is of the 
opinion that a considerable proportion 
of the soldiers to be sent to the aid of Ad- 
mi -al Df'wey ouirht to be Negro troops. 

-We observe that the New Orleans eSi- 
tor contemplates the officering of such black 
regiments by whites, and it seems to be the 
general feeling in the South, as is not un- 
narural. General Kussel of North Carolina, 
nowever, has appointed colored men as of- 
iicei-s -f the colored regiment furniaJ4ed by 
t'.w: S ate. " 

Governers to the Resetie. 
Nvtwithstanding the war (iepartment 
WHS nut favorably impressed'^Twith le 
i^iea of Negro ofl&cers for Negro regiments, 



THE BLACK TROOPERS. lO:^ 

Several jrovein^rs. jitm1 soinr of rliiiii 
Southerners at that. ;.i.|i<>iiitt'd full n-m- 
niental ofticei's, fiom < oloiicl doun, ficiii 
the ranks of the Nc^ro soldiers. 

'J'his was the fiist time, in the I'liih <1 
States, that a full le^inient had been put 
under command of Negro ofticeis. 

Notable amontr the Negro i-eginicnts 
commanded by Negi'(M)fficers were the Nrli. 
Jlls. : 23rd. K;insas; cJid. North (^arolina; 
ar.d Hrh. Va. 

Coin))any I-. 6<h. InfjiDtrj ]W;»!-.s Vol. 

'Ihi; i^'iKsr \k(;uo Co. WITH NkoroIIkkf- 
CERs; .\nd The Only Onk In A White Hko- 
1M^;^^, was Co. L. f>th. Mass. Infanny. 
It lias b.^'en in tlie Massachusetts Militia 
since 1863, wIkmi Mass. sent two colored 
regiments cf ii'antiy and one of cavaliy 
to the front. ^ Ml of this ( '(j's. othcers are 
colored, and the i ef^inieiital battilioii. -T 
which Co. L. foniis a part, ha> a N<'i;io 
battilion adjutant. 

According to the Adjutant Concrars 
report, its record, in the State of Mass., 
pievious tothr war. was sectuid to n<>ii«' of 
the eighty infaim; - ••nipaiiic> in tlie -n- 
viee of the Stale. 

1 rs ofticcTs w<i r made up. ]ait;<'i), of 
Colley<.'-l>re<i ni( ii. 



'. Ill:: BLACK Troopers. 

104 

The Oldest Military Organ ization 

Co. L is the oldest military organization, 
anfionff colored people, in the United 
States. Its organization dates back to 
1782. when tiie Bucks of Annerica was 
funned. It was once presented a flag by 
John Hancock, one of the signers of Dec- 
laration of Independence, which flag is 
now ill the possession of the Mass. His- 
forical Society. 

The Co. was comnoanded by Capt. Wm. J. 
Williams; First Lieut., William Hubert 
Jackson; Secoad Lieut., Geo. W. Brj^SLton. 



ciiAi»TKH xirr. 

Tlio .'Jrd >oi(ii Cjh oliiiii Ijinmlry. 

/^XEof the best oioHiiized re«iiinent3, 
^^ with colored coniinissioiied officers, 
^^'^ was the 3id. N. C. The followiii^r is 

a briei" sketch of some of its officers- 
Col JaiiH's II. Youiij^. 

TiiL' efficient coiiiniander of the .3r(]. 
N.L\ was born a shive of Captain D. K. 
Yoiiii<,^ of Henderson, Vance Comity, 
^'. C. He attended the common schools an(i 
entered Shaw Univeisity, in Octobei, 
1874. He was office boy for Col. J..]. 
Young, collector of inteinal revenue 
eight years, was promoted to chief clerl, 
and cashier, and was removed by Presi- 
dent Cleveland, in 1885. In 1KS() he \Nas 
made chief clerk to the register of deeds uf 
Wake County, which office he hebl until 
Dec. 1888. Hi July4889 he was appointed 
special inspector of customs, by the late 
secretary, Mr. Windom, and was again re- 
moved by President Cleveland. He was 
appointed by President Harrison, Sept., 
1^90, collector of customs for the port of 
Wilmington, N. C and re-appointed in 



106 THE BL-\CK TROOPERS. 

1891, but the United States' Senate ad, 
jiicned without confirmation. In 1894 he 
was nominated and elected, by the Repub- 
licans, to the State Legislature, and again 
in 1896. He is, tkerefore, a well tried 
man in public affairs. 

His military careeir, began, however, 
when he was appointed Major of ''Rus- 
sell's Black Battili^," April, 27, 1898. 
As a testimonial to his efficiency, as a 
military tactician, he was promoted and 
commissioned Colonel of the 3rd. N. C, 
regiment, volunteer Infantry, June, 23, 
1898. ' His superior skill as a commander 
brought his regiment up to one of the best 
drilled in the volunteer service of the 
United States; 

Lieut. Col. C S. t.. A. Taylor 

was born at Charlotte, N. C., January 31, 
1854. He was born a slave, and a shoe- 
maker by trade. He made shoes for Gen- 
eral Lee's army during the late rebellion. 
Immediately after the close of the war he 
attended a Quaker school, and learned 
rapidly. He was prominent in Odd Fel- 
low circles, before enlisting in the 
army — Ex Department Distrijst Master 
of Grant Lodge No. 7. P.M. V. P., Ex- 
Department G.C. of the I. 0. G. S. and D. 



THE BLACK TROOPERS. 1U7 

oftS. He was marriea in looy ro.ui:,. 
Agu>;;i W heeler of Charlotte, N. C. Uh 
eiiT: r family seem iuciiued to Miliiar^ 
liff -having two sons in the famous 10th. 
C<)^aijry. J. L. Td^^lor was sergeant of thu 
10th. (.avalty and was wounded in the bat- 
tle of Santiago. GTeorge is also a ser. 
geant. Lieut. Col. Taylor was a barber, 
musician, and dancing master, and ha(J 
th( j-eputation of h-aving taught many ot 
the hrst families of North and South Caror 
lina how to trip the light fantastic. He 
was appointed first lieutenant of the Char- 
lotte Liirht Infantry, Company B. , in 
1887, ixv.': - as, after one year, commissioned 
captain. .;; d commanded the Co. until 
April. k7, 1898 when he was appointed 
captain of Co. A.. First Battilion, K.C. 
volunteers, lie was promoted Lieut. Cd 
of the 3rd" regiment, N. C. volunteeis 
June 23rd. 1898. Ho was very popular 
with the regiment, and no man was moro 
anxious than he to meet the "Dons. " 

Mnj. Andrew James Walker 
was another popular officer with ^he regi- 
ment. He was commander of the Hrdt 
battilion: was bo' n in ^^'iImiHgtou N. C. 
of slave I'arents. After the Civil War 



108 THE BLACK TROOPERS- 

he attended tlie public schools. He was 
married in January, 1882 u uis. F. W. 
Steward. * Three children bless their un- 
ion, one of whom was a volunteer in the 
resriment. lie was appointed first Lieut. 
Co. B. 3rd. regiment, N. C. voiuntoers, 
April 2Cth. 1898 and was promoted to the 
Xosition of major, June 23rd. 1898. Be- 
fore enlistment in the army, he was an ar- 
('ont S. S. w^orker and was for seven years 
elected president of the North Carolina 
Cape Fear Sunday School Convention. 

fc Maj J. E. Delliiiger 
was born near Lowesville, Lincoln Co., 
K. C. At fifteen years of age he entered 
an academy near Line Into :i, in his native 
county, where, after three yeais study, he 
finished the prescribed course. ^ After 
teaching for a whi^e he took a course at 
the State Normal School, graduating at 
t'.ie head of his class, and winning the 
niedal awarded the best scholar of the 
year's class. Next he became principle 
of the Reidsville graded schoo],^.nnd assis- 
tant principle of the Snlisbui y. he entered 
Leonard * Medical school and graduated 
tb' efi'om in 1892 with highpst honors. 
iie was, on the 3rd. of July 1878, after 



pr^"' 





UlWMillil' 



»«ii»«gl~>M'" 



J 



Capt. Wm. J. Williams, Co I.. (.lIi 
Infantry. 



\'.)1. 



1 



THE BLACK TROOPERS. 



a compr'titi\o oxainiiiation. appoinrcd 
Chief Surgeon of rhc :^i(l. N. T- r('jj:iment. 
He ranks as one of the best surgeons of 
this CoMitry. 



CHAPTER XIV. 
The 8th. Illinois Infantry. 



THE 8th. Illinois filled a very impor- 
tant position in the United States 
»> service, during the Spanish- Ameri- 
can War. ' They were part of the army of 
occupation, and its commander, CoL Jno. 
E. Marshall, was military governer of the 
town of San Louis Cuba. The officers 
were as follows: Col. John R. Marshall; 
Lieut. Col. J. C. Johnson; Majs. Robert 
R. Jackson and Franklin A. Dennison; 
Adjutant, Harvey A. Thompson; - Quar- 
termaster, James S. Nelson, Chief Sur- 
r on. Major Wesley. After forty days of 
waiting at Camp Tanner, they struck 
camp, and sailed for Cuba, on the trans- 
port cruiser, Yale, on the after-noon of 
Thursday, Ai-gust 11th. 1898. Upon their 
M-rival in Cuba, Chaplain Jordan Chavis 
^rote the National Standard Enterprise, 
under date of August 24th. as follows: — 
''We had a very pleasant trip across 
the sea. A few were sick. I never ex- 
perienced a finer trip and had mj health 




Col. James H. Young, 3rd North Carolina Vol. 
Infantrj. 



THE BLACK TKu(h'.,i;.s. ) ) ;, 

better than before. We reached Santiago 
Harbor t^e 16th. and landed tlic 17th. 
It was dark when we got ashore. We 
marched two miles from the city through 
the mud anda struck camp. The next 
morning we moved back one mile and the 
second day thereafter were ordered to 
San Luis, the first battalion preceding us 
the day before. - It was 2 o'clock A. M. 
when we reached here, so we remained on 
train until morning. Soldiers struck 
camp one mile from the city. We made 
staff headquarters in the city. We have 
good houses and everything is well if they 
will just let us stay here and I thinK they 
will. , We have entire charge of the city 
and lailroad, a distance of thirty-five miles. 
There are 6,000 inhabitants here. Ever- 
thing is oriental. Bull carts are used for 
hauling loads. The yoke is strapped to 
their heads by which they pull instead of 
their .Oioulders. Jb'rom one to six pair are 
worked to one cart. Pack mules are also 
used extensively. Small ponies are u-d 
for riding. 

Cows, goats and jennies arc used lor 
milk- It was a strange thing to sec a hoy 
peddling milk, ride a Jennie up to a (h.or, 
get down and milk from the jcnnie one- 



116 THi. BLACK TROOPERS. 

half cup of milk and ride to another door 
and do the same. 

Plenty of men and wonien are ai'ound 
the streets, half naked, vatng w]^;;t :hrj 
i'-Av. gather from our camp. 

Thcie is i;i'eat sickness and sufieihifj 
: -non^- the Cubans. 

Our regiment is having good health. 
Two companies left this morning for Pal- 
ma 'Sarino, 12 jiiiles from here, under 
Major Jackson, to take charge. 

With proper care I think this is a 
healthy climate. The towns are filthy, 
but we are putting American enterpise 
into them and we will soon have a nice 
little city here." 

As has been stated, Col John R. Mar- 
shall acted as military governer of San 
Louis Cuba, a city about half the size of 
Springfield, 111. 

Major R. R. Jackson, with compaiiies E 
vnd F, were stationed at El Paso, about 
: 2 miles from San Louis; Major Jack^un 
-\v as acting Mayor of that town. 

Thus it will be seen that these Xegro 
s-ldiers were given responsible posts — 
:>!)sts calculated to show to the woi-ld that 
the Nergo is as able to command as lie is 
to obey. And it should be said, here, that 




.|!^V-t^> 




: \ 



Lieut Col. C. S. L A. Tavior, 3rd Noit'i Caro- 
lina \'ol. Iiifiiiurj-. 



IHE BLAC\ TKoui'EKS 



11:) 



the Xegro should be c-ommanded by 
Xe^Toes was amply justified. 'Ihv ictimi 
home of the 8th."^Illinois was one coiiri;iaai 
uvarioii, from New York to Chicago. 



CHAPTEK XV. 

The 23rd. Kansas Vol iiiiteer Tnfar.try. 



THIS Regiment has the proud cnstiiic- 
tiou of bein^ one of the only two regi- 
"♦-^> ments, officei-edby Negro officers, that 
did garrison duty in Cuba. 

A dramatic incident is told Ly Captain 
"W. B. Koberts, of Co. F. of hisexperience 
at a Santiago hotel- Capt. Hobei-ts, writ- 
ing to his parents, - Oct; 3rd. 1898 says:— 
"When we are in Santiago we are re- 
minded so much of home. There is a hotel 
there called the American, run by an 
American w^ho is from St. Louis. Mo. 
They try to draw^ the color line here in Cuba. 
'Y\\e first time 1 was theie I went to that 
li'tc! along with ('aptain Hawkins, of 
Atchison, who is very light in color. They 
thought he was white and so said nothing 
to him, but the proprietor was going to 
scop me. He said his boarders a n d 
white customers objected to eating with 
colored men and that he could not afford 
to ruin his business by accommodating me, 
and I an American army officer in full 











Coljiiel John K. Marshall, 

6tn. Illinois Volun!<!'cr Infantrj 



iiiiiEi)iiii; and you sliould liave hcaid inc 
£;•() after him. I told him 1 was an Ameri- 
can officer and liad a s s o c i a t e d 
v;itH. gentlemen all my life ;ind did no; 
now propose to disgrace myself oi' wy 
shoulder straps by eating at a side table '.•v 
or in a side room to please a few second 
class white officers who never had money 
enough to take a meal at a first class hotel 
until they became officers in the volunteei- 
army in the United States during this 
present war; that I asked no special privi- 
liges, but would have what is due me as 
an army officer or know the reason why; 
that he need not think that we colored sol- 
diers who spilled so much of precious 
blood on the brow of San Juan Hill that ir 
might be possible for him and other Amci- 
icans to safely do business, and are stand- 
ing now with bayonets upon our guns as 
sentinels to protect them in that business, 
were going to stand any discrimination on 
account of our color; and all I wanted tc 
know was whether or not lie would feed 
me. The dining room was full of oHiccrs 
and others and you could have hcaid a 
pin lall while J was talking, and while 
the pioprictor was finding something to 
sav, an officer whom I later found to be 



124 THE BLACK TROOPERS. 

Gen. Ewers of military District No. 1, 
got up from the table, walked over to me 
graspiug my hand, said: 'Come, Captain, 
take my seat; and you, Mr. Hotel Propri- 
etor, get it quick; and I don't want to hear 
any more of this d — n foolishness with these 
officers of mine,' and I was a little king- 
there in about a minute. " 

Captain Roberts never bad any trouble 
with that hotel proprietor thereafter. 
While it is true that the Spaniards possessed 
many traits of cruelty yet they were more 
humane in many respects than the people 
of the IT. S. The faet must inevitably ac- 
cur to any well thinking man that their 
barbarities have been much exagerated. 
A-poterican liberty is often taken for license. 
Speaking of Spanish equality and fairness 
brings to my mind a little episode, which 
occurred in Havana; Feb. 1899. The asso- 
ciated Press Dispatches announced the 
following, under day of Feb. ^14, 1899. 

"Holman's Washington Cafe, in Central 
Park, has been ordered closed by Senor 
Frederico Mora, Civil Governer of Ha- 
vaiia, because of the I'efusal of the proprie- 
i€^v to serve drinks to a mulatto, the Cuban 
#e©eral, Ducasse. Several friends of Du- 
easse were seated in the cafe taking ji2- 




mih3iiJS^^^9ti^m.;^ 



Liieuteiiaiit Colonel .iHiiies H Johnson, 

8th. Illinois \^)lunieer Infiintrj. 




Corp Will n rariiier 

8ti; lllir.oi-, Vo"uriti er Inlantrjr. 



THE BLACK TKUUPliK6. l'^9 

ficsliiiK'nts. wlu'ii 1n hapix'iK'd to be ^ ;ia.-^- 
ing- and the> called him to join tht'in. Mr. 
''llohiian, however, refused to serve hnn. 
As the existing Spanish laws prohihit race, 
distinctions, Senor Mora, to whom com- 
plaint was made, consulted Maj. (ici.eral 
Lndlow% Military Governer of the Depaii- 
ment of Havana, as to the action to he 
taken, (ien. Ludlow told him to enforce 
the law, and Senor Mora infoi-med Mr. 
Holman that unless he wrote a letter of 
apojoo^}' the cafe would be closed. Mr. 
Holman declined to write the letter, and 
Senor Mora issued the closing order. 

}.\v. Holman. who is an American, says 
he will reopen, claiming that he is sus- 
tained by the American authorities. It is 
considered that the controversy will tai-e 
thr race question." 

('aii it be possible that Spain, miicli a- 
bused, cruel Spain, would treat it> eir- 
izens of color with moie consideiation 
than proud America— tlie land of the 
fiee and the home of the biave! it i> a 
fact, however, that there had been mr h 
more equality among the races, inCula, 
under Spanish rule than in America. 
Think of it, Maceo, a Negro, yet secMul ni 
command of the Cubari forcc^I 



;[30 THE BLACK IROOPtRS. 

I'lie 23rd Jvansas did ?ood service, on 
g.iii'ison duty in Cuba, 
('apt. Roberts, writiug from San Luis De 
Cuba, Sept., 7, 1898, Says: — 

San Luis is the most peculiar city I 
have seen or dreamed of. It*is situated in 
a beautiful valley between the Sierra Ma- 
dre mountins, a unique (Jubau town of a- 
bout 4,000 inhabitants, all Cubans and col- 
ored people, but all speak Spanish and 
we cannot undei-stand what they say, only 
a few words. ''Man" in their language is 
"humbre," the "h" being: silent; woman, 
"senora;" young lady, ''senorito;" 
children, ''pickaninnies, "boy, ''bache;" 
and a girl is called a ''muchache." 

We are camped on the outskirt of the 
town, just 'across the branch fi'om the 
Eighth Illinois regiment, and have met 
several of the officers, and think a great 
deal of them. All are getting alcng 
nicely together. Our men visit back and 
fo"th and have a good time. 

Wahave but little sickness in camp; 
most of what wo have is bad colds and 
malaria. We have 24 men in the hospital, 
but none seriously sick. It is impossible 
to keep from taking cold until a person 
(retH acclimated. It h very hot in thi? 




The Cuban Flag-, under which Maceo, (Jiircia, 
Gomez and other Cuban patriots foug-hl. The 
stripeb are blue and white and a white star in a red 
field. 







r'- /I 



"ten. A ntonio Maceo. 



THE BLACK rKDOl'EUS. 135 

climate and the nights are cool cnou^^ii to 
sleep under blankets; and it rains every 
day. Big dews fall at night. 80 you 
see the weather conditions are much dif- 
ferent to any thing we have been used to, 
but I am feeling fine, except a slight cold, 
and am trying to keep well 

There is no yellow fevor here, but a 
good many cases in Santiago, there being 
there two hospitals for fever patients. 
This country is five hundred years behind 
ours. * Little dirty streets, with houses 
worse than our barns, made of bark from 
cocoanut trees, which are the most com- 
mon trees here. It is a sight to see our 
men climbing cocoanut trees after cocoa- 
nuts, some green, some about ripe. \\ ill 
have ripe fruit here plenty in about two 
weeks. Everything grows hei-e— lemons, 
oranges, pineapples, bananas and all ti(»]>> 
cal fruits. We have plenty ('f len.« iis 1» v 
lemonade by picking them from th<' trees on 
the hillside anywhere around. 

This is a great country uf pos.sil):litic.<, 
but poverty reigns supreme. Tlir fields 
me gro'.vn over with sod, and i..s \\il<! as 
they ever were in the world. TIk' p<'opl,» 
are pitiful sights, neaily .')akt<i and half 



136 '^^^ BLACK THOUFhHt). 

fetarved, iittie bony boys, gins, women ana 
men. 

We have seen one Spanish soldier since 
our arrival, but evidence of war is every- 
where — cannons, old Spanish ones, block 
houses or small forts, on every hill. 

As I sit in my tent writing I can see two 
Spanish block houses within a quarter of 
a mile. The Spanish guns that were cap- 
tured aie being transferred to Santiago 
xi'om where they will be shipped to the 
L-nited States. I saw 20,000 Spanish 
Mauser I'ifles in a pile in Santiago when 1 
was thei-e the other day. 

These people treat us as best they can^ 
and do everything to make friends with us. 
Our regiment has about 2(X) Spanish 
mules grazing on the hillside near camp, 
which are in our charge, and our boys 
have a time riding these little mules a- 
round and getting kicked by them. 
This is no place for women, because there 
is no pi rice for them to stay; 1 ut if we 
were in Santiago or ary other place of any 
size we could accomodate the ladier., and 
it may ! c possible soon for us to uu so. 
As soon as possible we officers have a plan 
to bring our wives h3r3, that they may see 



THE BLACK IKuOPERS. 13 < 

the country and people. It would be 
worth a fortune to anyone to be here for 
awhile and see what I am seeing. 

Santiago has many fine palaces, the re- 
mains of Spanish aristocracy now occupied 
as offices by the officers of the Americrn 
army. 

There is some talk of sending us to Ha- 
vana, but we don't know anything defi- 
nitely about it, but I think it is a ''black" 
dispatch, as the.e are all kinds of rumors 
here every daj-. 

Tiic barracks where the Eighth Illinois is 
quartered is an old Spanish prison and there 
arc evidences of all kinds of cruelty and 
butchery-beheading blocks all covered with 
human hair and dried blood, and pieces of 
ropo still hanging from the okl round raft- 
ers, where many a, poor unfortunate Cuban 
has been hanged. -Old bloody blankets 
wer3 carried out of that old crib of a bar- 
racks, where Cubans had. been butchered, 
and burned by American solHiers. Some 
of thG33 sights arc terrible, while there 
isa greatsatisfaction in seeing the result of 
Spanish misrule and butchery. 

It is reported that there r.ro ).b(i(} rpan- 
ish soldier;^ in the hill; iw^a. GO jniies 



138 THE BLACK TROOPERS. 

from here and we may have a tie-up with 
thorn any time, as they have been ordered to 
come in and lay down their arms, but they 
have as yet, refused to do so. Gen. 
Ewers, our commander, has given them 
until the 20th to report in here and lay 
down:, their arms, and if they do not 
comply, we Avill have to go out and bring 
them in; and these 2,000 Negro troops here 
are the ones that can and will be pleased 
of the opportunity to do it. We hate the 
Spanish more and more every day we see 
the result of ten years war and confusion, 
for they have made a barren tract out of a 
once fertile field." 



CHAPTER XVI. 
The 6th, Va. Yoluuteer lufantry 



NOT a nobler set of valient hearted 
men ever enlisted in the miltaj-y ser- 
"♦■» vice of the United States. At the 
beginning of their enlistment strong 
pressure was brought to bear ui)oii the 
governer of Yiiginia, to have them 
mustered in with white officers. This in- 
fiuenct , mind you, came from NeKi"o hating 
whites, who would rather see the Negro 
enjoying the congeniel(?) sunshine of Hades 
than see him in the regulation militaiy 
uniform of the United lStatt\^. It ma> le 
that they are conscious of the many in- 
dignities heaped upon the Negro by the su- 
called seperior race, and are cautions, lest 
he who sows the mind might rrai. the 
whirlwind. 

Gen. U.S. Grant was once heard to remark 
that.Mt will be a tiark day wlicn the 
Chinese learn the art of n.odern wait an 
While the Negroes of this conntry have 
no desire whatever to tnrn their kn"\\ lid^e 
of operating a machiuc i;nu ni.on liie 



140 IKE BLACIv IKOOrEKlS. 

w^iiHes among' whom tho7 ]\Te, rr.d many 
of whom they ragard as their .ics: fiiend^: 
yrtafaint ides, con.'picici-s for itsineradic- 
fx ility, S83ni3:l togala foocho.aiiitheminds 
01 th-e pcwers ihrt Ic, that a ^ ereral ariv- 
ii ■" of the ific-/n:eii(f L vi\ 5 in-cxped.- 
e: rt I.;;g: from iLeir point oi; \-c.mcg,c- 

x^ivtory, from time immemorirl rws \o 
•show that it hf.o ever hctn t]:e i ( I'n y, v, i ■ a 
here and there en e:;cpyt:o]i, Gfiuhiii: urns 
to keep military af^iairs ci;:: or f:\^ .>Rnds of 
subject races. The hccpiug in vicvv- or 
this idea aad a hno^ylcGg-e on the p»?vrt of 
the ruling claso CI this count: y of the en- 
nobling of Kcgro manhco:! enevi:abiy con- 
sequent upo:i Afro-Amoricans cxarcising 
themili'ary prerogative, is what has pre- 
vented the promotion of Xc^rroes in tlio 
anny. ^. 

x.io'r/3ycr, the bh^ch,^ oH Yirglnir, 'icadrd 
by the ''e:amest Ne^ro editor on the Con- 
tinent," John Mitchc], Jr., held cut for 
Kegro oiScers for the Gih. Yr.. V\'iii]e the 
Virginia Isegrces vrcrc r^ pr.trictic as any 
other A '-.lorican citizen to bo found eist - 
where, he wanted simple jnsiic, nothing 
7>:o:'e nor less. Iliorciorc, their v, atchcry 
r. ■, ''No onicerr, no fi^ir." 

The ifesuit was, Gov. Tyler of Vii^Inia, 



i 



TH.S BLACK IH, (»l'Kli>. | 1 i 

appointed all colore r! ( ffirors except a col- 
onel, Lieut. Col, and liii assistant surgeon. 

The Colored officers 
were; .NFajors, \V. H. Johnson, of Peters- 
burg; J. IJ. Johiis:)n. 0.' Richniund: Capts.; 
W. A. HavvKin, j;. A. Graves, Charles B. 
Nicholas, Jas. C. Hill, J. A C.Stevens, E. 
W. Gould, and Peter Shepherd, Jr; Lieu- 
tenants, S. B. Kandolph, Geo. T. Wright 
and David w'orrell. Assistant Surgeon 
C K- Alexan<lor. All these officers were 
examined b}^ tiio nilirary board of Virginia 
before bcinfr con-imi^sioiied. 

'j roul)lo lor The nth. 
Lieutciinnt (\>1. Croxton (vhite) soon be- 
came tired oi Xcgro olllcers, not withstand- 
ing their pi'ovon eHiciency. Therefore he 
decided upon a plan by which he hoped to 
oust the Ne.^To officers and have whites 
put in their places, namely to prefer 
charges of incoir.petence ap:ainst the col- 
ored officers, have a picjudiccd board ap- 
pointed to (xamiiie them, and thus dis- 
charge them, 'i'his was about the middle 
of Oct., 18^^". 

A Disl Jiiciloii vrKija DirTeroiicc. 
In order to avoid the appearnnce of dis- 
criminating on account of color, Maj. J. 
B. Johnson, Cnpt. W. A. llawkius and 



142 THE BLACK TKOoPEivS. 

Capt. B. A. Graves were not disturhed. 
Assistant Surg'eoii C. K. Alexander was 
not included, because the examination of 
him would have led to the examiuation of 
Assistant Surgeon Black, (white). 

(») A List of tlie Victi^jis. -^ 

The following however were lujirked for 
slaughter: Major W. R. Joluison, of 
Petersburg, Ya; Capt. Charles B 
Nicholas, of Richmond; Capt. James C. 
Hill and Capt. J. A. C Stevens, of Peters- 
burg, Ya.; Capt. Edward \V. GouM and 
Capt. Peter kShepherd, Ji'., of Norfolk; 
and Lieutenants S. B. Randolph, Geoi-ge 
T. Wright and David Worrell. 
<& A Manly Act. 

Knowing full well that uo fair examina- 
tion would be held, all of the nine officers 
ordered to be examined, promprl}^ handed 
in their resignation to the War Department. 
After the question had been agitated in 
public prints, pro and con, the colored l Ul- 
cers, who resigned, seiiL the folio win.:;* 
signed statement to Editor John Mitchell, 
Jr. of the Planet Avhich apr;eaid ui.der 
date of Nov. 19, 1898:— ^ 
Editor John MitcheP; 
«. Richmond Planet; 

Dear Sir: — As the daily papers f;;^nen:]:Y 



THE BLACK TROOPEKS. Uij 

liavp given theii- supposed version of the 
resio-nation of the nine officers of the Sixth 
V II g-inia Volunteers and it has all been 
unfavorable to the officers in (luestion, it 
may be well to let our fiiends hear our 
side. 

1^0 begin with, by an act of Congress 
the commanding officer of a regiment is 
allowed at any time he sees fit, to ask for 
a i)oard to examine into the qualification, 
officiency, conduct and capability of offi- 
cers under him. 

A Com in a lid ill*? Officer's Opportunity. 
This of course gives a commanding offi- 
cer an opportunity to get rid of any officer 
who may be objectionable to him, whether 
on account of color or any thing else. A 
Nvest Pointer can have room made for his 
fellow school-mate to the detriment of the 
volunteer officers, and the colored officers 
can be gotten rid of for the volunteer offi- 
cers of choice. 

ft is stated that we were incompetent. 
K West Point is to be taken as the stand- 
aid of efficency we admit that we were 
incompetent, so is every one else, not a 
West Point gi-aduate. 

A Pointod Qiiostion, 

Again, if we were incompetent, what is 



\ 44 THE BLACK TRDOPitRS 

to be said o" ny who are inferior to some 
of us resigiiL-a, in metal capacity? When 
we reason along this line, we can see that 
the object was not to find out our efficency 
etc., but to throw us out. 

Had the Board met at the time appoint- 
ed, we would have been summoned to ap- 
pear before the Board not knowing what 
was wanted of us. The order called for a 
meeting of the Board on Monday, Oct. 
3rd, at 10 A. M. We received the order 
from the Adjutant's office Monday Oct. 
3rd, 9 P. M. Snap judgement. 

Siiininary Proceedings. 

\V e were not aware of anything of the 
kind to take place till we read the order. 
Tuesday, 7 A. M., some of our resignations 
were in the Adjutant's office. At 9 A. M. 
the President of the Board arrived in 
camp. We were sent for. While some 
of us were standing at the front of the 
commanding officer's tent waiting for tie 
othei's to appear, we heard the question 
coming from witliin the closed tent ^'Are 
there any officers Oi men fit for pi'omo- 
tion?" The reply was ''Ko. " \\\ a few 
minutes the President of the Bofiid vame 
(An a:ii said to us, "The Board ^uli con- 
Yeiie \^ ednsdav, 5th, at 9 A. 








\^ 'V -■ . 


IKtaT^aCI 


joW^' 


IP^JB 




3I;ijor Will II. Johnson 

f'th. Virii^niu VoluntccT I::lut.trv. 




Jvieulenant John H. Alexander, (Deceased) 
i^econd Colored Graduate from West I'oint 



THK BLACK TR0(H'K1{>. 147 

A 8ij>:iiific'ai)l Hint. 

"If any of you wi;sli to resign you had 
better do so before tlie Board uc-ets. If 
your resignations ai-e not in lie fori' we 
;neet we'll have to leporr on ><iu." 'i'lio.-e 
words were significant. \N hy shonld he 
have said that? 

The intention to get rid of colored oili- 
cors was evident. We did not fear a fair 
examination as some of us ln)d been exani- 
ji'.ed more than once, and one of us tlirce 
iiuies, being always successful; hur we 
wei'e satisfied tJiat it was a case of trot 
them out and knock them down. 

The 3Iilitary Board of Virj^inia 

We consider that the officers conii)osing 
the military board of the 8tate of Virginia, 
Colonel Jno. Lane Stern, General Charles 
J. Anderson and other prominent gciirl.-- 
men who examined u§^ or some of u^ at 
least, pronounced us qualitied for ou!- jx)- 
sition, knew their business as well as rhc 
commanding officei' of the Sixth Virginia 
Kcgiment, and their sigiiatures to our 
papers are euuugh for us. The signatures 
of ail tiie examining boards that could be 
esrabiisiied would not Lave added any 
]noi-e hoiK^r to, or attested to oil- qualifi- 
cation any more so than tiu' naiiK'S vi the»u 



148 THE BLACK TROOPERS. 

two officers above referred to. The Com- 
monwealth of Virginia felt satisfied at 
their action, hence our entry into the 
service. 

So liegiiiieiital Drill Held. 

We can say without fear of successful 
contra dicton that from the 9th of August, 
possibly from the establishment of the 
camp beyond Richmond, not one regi men- 
tal drill had been had by the Sixth Virgin- 
ia Volunteer up until the 22nd of October, 
saving- a few maneuvers executed prepar- 
atojy to a review by General Breckenridge 
on the next, neither had there been one 
officer's school of instruction other than 
tl ose held in which the Ivc Majois were 
instructors up to the 12th of October. 
Performed Their Full Duty. 

We did our duty, the regiment was con - 
plimented time and again upon its efficien- 
cy, yet after any drill, or at any time any 
shortcoming was noticed on part of ei- 
listed men on the field, or sentinels at post, 
the officers were liable to be summoned to 
listen to a tirade of exercration and oaths. 
Oaths and curses were always on hand. 
They were often and very loud. 
Friends Were Faithful 

Our friends have atood up boldly for us, 



THE BLACK TROOPERS. H\) 

flnfl if our pretended fnVrdc ooiild have 
witnessed the work done b. : ih' officers, and 
tlie assistance ?iven us, iind then s( en 
Vroat we had to v^^ntcnd ayainsr, insi< ad of 
criticizing and condemnincf oni- action 
tliey would haTe commrnded u?. :i Chniiry 
would have dictated thot they sny no'hin^^ 
until they heard more, hut unfortunately 
for some of our people, the less they 1 ! ow 
about a subject the more they dipcnss it. 
and the discussicnis rediculous, Mirhout 
^en?e or reascn. ^Ve we^e tlcic i;nd 
kuew. 

A Word To The Critics. 

These critics were ar hoioe and tried to 
know more than we and what they do not 
know about military regulations and 
usages would ill forty encyclopedias. 
We* did >i»at what the white officers of a 
Ma<=^a^bu8ett« lUfiment did under the 
cir nstances, b»rrius color. .^W e no in)t 
wish money at the exn.ii^e of ri^rlit treat- 
ment. One tWwiu: has Icen deni©»»tiated, 
yea two, first, that ih? ronnmandin^c offi- 
cer of the 6th Vir;:inia Hitriment has no 
respects for <* man of color, retiued or 
vicious. 



151) THE BLACK TROOPERS. 

Colored Officers, PredicameRt. 

All look alike to him. Second, that in 
the eyes of a certain class of army officers, 
an enlisted man, or an officer if he 
be a colored officer is no more than a yel- 
low dog. 

We do not wish it understood that we 
were utterly friendless. We were certain 
that we had one and probably two officers 
on the Board who would have given us jus- 
tice, but one of the other officers w;aslxpm 
a regiment very closely allied, to.: ihe 
Georgia Regiment which gave us n^^re 
trouble than all Camp Poland combined, 
while the other two, one of whom was the 
President, was from a regiment, the 4th 
Tennessee, who hated us intensely, as 
evinced by their action on learning that 
wc were to be temporarily assigned to the 
Fame brigade with them". We had nothiii^; 
lo hope for. Only swift judgement. 
/Sie:ned: 

WM. H. JOH^^SON, 
J. A.Q.-.^rEYENS, 
D A YIJD WORRELL, 
JAMES E.HILL, 
EDWARD W. GUILD, 
0. B. ]N:iCHOLAh. 
' S. B. RANLOLPIL 



THE BLACK TROUPEKS). 1>1 

A Lyiirliiiiff Two Ainiiliilntod , 

A report, illustrating- the cliiiiactci- of 
tlie Bth. Vii'^inia was related hy a ri)V]i'<- 
pondent, namely; shoitly afrcr the ic.^-i- 
iiient was moved from (';:iup l*i»laiMi, 
Knoxville, Tenn., to Cam]) lia-kcll. Mn- 
con, Georgia, some one pointed out to 
them the tree on whieh a eolored man had 
been lynched nine years a^ro, they pro- 
ceeded to treat the ti'ee as they would 
liave treated the lynchers, and about a 
thousand shots tore their way through its 
trunk and cut away the limbs. 

Kiiulliiig Wood In Abuiidaiico. 

To complete the woi'k axes were brought 
into play and the mighty monarcli reduced 
to kindling wood. The white owner 
showed up on horse-back, but when he 
found^ that those Virginia colored folks 
were usually serious his horse's head was 
turned in another direction and for a few 
moments the boys enjoyed the sight of see- 
ing his coat-tails play in the wind while 
his horse was made to doits best in gct- 
ing him out of the neighborhood of dan- 
ger. 

The Otli. Kc'vicnvod by President 
^IcKiiiley. 

^^hllL■ at Camp Haskell, Macon, Ga , the 



152 THE BLACK TROOPERS. 

btii. was reviewed by President McKin- 
Jey, while on a Southern tour. A cor- 
respondent of the Planet writes as fol- 
lows, under date of Dec. 1898: — 
A L<>ii|c? March. 

This morning I'eveille was sounded at 
0:(iU, the boys were g:iveni/reakfiisto:45aud 
evei> thing put in readiness for the Grand 
Kevifcw given for oui- Corps Com nir* rider 
Maj. Gen'l Wilson in the city at nine 
o'clock. At 7 o'clock our command left 
camp for the long march to town, which 
was reached shortly after 8 o'clock. 
Eveiy man was in heavy marching order, 
with his rifle, canteen, haversack witn 
luncii, sheltei' tent, ponche aiiU blanket 
rolled across from shoulder to wais . 
Moie tiian 7500 troops were in line, and it 
was truly a magnificent sight as they 
marched througii the streets and passed 
the reviewing stand headed by the Divis- 
ion Commander and his staff niountet., 
followed by the 7th. Kegiment of cavalry 
with their mounted baud. 

it was a sight never before witjie>>e(l by 
the citizens of Macon, and the ]uta of 
of 4000 JNegro troops in line was some- 
thing that they never even dreamed of be- 



THE BLACK TROOPERS. \')'\ 

Favorably roiiiinoiHlod. 

Tho hi)ys created considcMablc favorable 
'•oniiiuMir however. It is si range how 
«;hese people rejjard tlic Negro, soldier. 
One cannot go into town with«»nt being 
eyed suspiei(»nsly, and looked upon as 
something oin of the ordinary, this ap- 
plies to colored as well as the white ele- 
ment. Jt is noticeable, so far different 
from the manner in which we were treated 
by all classes of citizens, while we Wi^j* 
stationed at Kno^ville. 



CHAFTFK XVTT 

The lOtli. Georgia \oliiii1ter jj.iauifj- 
aud 9tli. Ohio Battiliou etc. 






IHE 10th. Georgia Regiment was a 
splendid set of soldiers, coiisiderd 
from an athletic and disciplinary 
stand-point. The regiment was well be- 
haved, gentlemanly, and would Imve 
shown the Spaniards a thing or two had 
not the fun ended so abruptly. 

Company K 
was recruited by Prof. Thos. L. Cotton of 
Darlington S. C He was the only col- 
ored man in the regiment to recruit a 
company. 

Company F 
w^as one of the most inteligent companies 
in the regiment. It was from Hampton, 
Va , Capt. P. V. Turney, commanded. 
Capt. Turney was an old army man of 
24 years constant service, oad eminently 
lirtod for his command. 

Company A 
w;i> composed of men from Atlanta, the 
Gate city, Lieut. F. H. Crumbly was in 



^^A 



K\ 







MciiU'Majil F H Criiiiibly. 

]<'iii (Ic<ir!j;i;i NOlimtciT Inhmtrv. 



THE BLACK TROOPERS. I'x 

command His men were well uiscipjiu**! 
and had the highest respect for their 
Lieutenant. 

Company G 
Wfis made up from volunteers from Au- 
gusta. Capt Mullarky, Capt. ; il. \\ liitc, 
first Lieutenant. 

1 oinpaiiy I* 

was recruited at Kiohmond, Va.. enrolled 
the 6th. of rJiily, and mustered into ser- 
vice, July 6, lb98. Capt. Crandall Mac- 
Li y ol' Washington, D. C. So y(Mi sec this 
regiment was made up of companies finm 
several states — all fine soldiers, however- 
Rev. Kichard Cairoll, was chaplain ami 
did good work, lie distributed nioie 
than 1300.00 worth of books, tjiven by 

friends, among his regiment. 

The 9tli Ohio Kattilioii. 

The 9th. Ohio Battilion was also C( m- 
manded by colored otticers but due to 
the short duration of the war never sa\v 
service. 

Major Charles Young, the comniivuicr 
was a West Pointei and his ^taff was ecu - 
posed of Senior Captain R. R. Rudd; 
Lieut. Wilson Ballard, adjutant; Capt;i.;i 
Walter H. Thoma-s, quartermostor, Licit. 
William Warreij> mutain buinci'U. 



158 TH-' BLACK TROOPERS. 

'I'lip r)lli(^prR of companies were (^^iptain 
K. R. Rud, Lioiit Joliii R. Rudaiid William 
FJliot, of company A; Captain Deaton 
J. }>]-ooks, Licuts. Charles (^mIwcII, and 
A\'oo(lson p. Welsh of coi]i])aHy B; Capt- 
Harry Robinson, Lieiitenanrs James W. 
Smith, and James Bi'azlcroii. <. {' company 
C; Captain John C . Fiilvni;, J.ientenants 
Alfred A. Moore, and Kma ucl D. Bass 
ot company D. — 

There were sevei'al socallp'i 

Illumine Ke,i4iiu<'iits 
organized among tht. colored people. They 
were supposed to be immune to yellow 
fever. Most of them were not needed and 
therefore did not see active service. 

Col. ^9 Ray's regiment, fixm Louisiana, 
did snlendid srarrison dutv in Cuba. 




jy, :3»3:tv 



Miijov Charlos Y.nin<>-, Third ("olorcd (ira.lualc 
from WOtruint Coinmaiidcr of the 'Hh -Ohio 



Ualtiliuii. 



CHAPTER XVIII. 
Coiiclu8ion. 



VVF^ hope by this time the reader lin-? 
V^I^ seen enough of the Negro iSolduT 
^'*"*"'*' to pioperly ai)i)reciate liis sterling 
wortli. It might not he amiss to leave tlie 
scene of the Cuban conflict for awhile - 
Foi'.i^er the sublime charge up San Juan 
Jlili: full) our backs uptm the tlmndering 
gates of VA Saney; and lelegate to the 
rear nf memory's tablet the sickening 
scenes of Sibony; and lets lo( k tlii-oniili 
the telesco{ e of inihginatioii. hikj.^ uj in 
yonders lofty In iyhts, view the colored ve- 
terans in the W ar of tin* Rebellion, \s h<ri 
the Negro Soldiers on May the 27, IM .", 
weic assigned the difficult task of taking 
Port Hudson, which to Military expeits 
seemed almost impregnable. Situated not 
unlike San Ju-.in's bushy heigl)t>, upon a 
high liill ai'ound. the sides and ?-ear ejo-e 
under the ItlnfF lan a bayou tuel\e feet 
deep and from fifteen to twenty feet wide. 
Peeping out fiom the openings of the em- 
bankment were the giim m<»urhs of belch- 
ing cannon. 



162 THK BLACK TROOPERS. 

A short lest after a long n) a r ^ v rs fol- 
-iiowered by the stern comniann, ' F<\\\ in." 
The fcr.oops were really nnxioiis to fi'oht 
a^d the scene reminded one mure of an 
pic^vly fstliietie party than a march to 
isesith. ■ The Confedates rediculed the idea 
t''i U Negroes were to take them. 

As the Negro regiment moved to-ward 
the fort there was a death like silence; 
broken only by the steady tramp of sol- 
diers and tap of drum. "Forward, 
double-quick, march!" rang out along the 
line; guns were steady, araunition dry. but 
not a single piece discharged, "Right 
about!" was the command, the regiment 
wheeled to the right about three hundred 
yards then cooly and orderly faced the 
enemy again by companies. 

Six awful charges were thus made when 
Colonel Nelson, the commander, reported 
to Gen. IJ wight his inability to take the 
fort because the bayou was too deep for his 
mon to wade; Gen. Dwight, replied "I 
shall consider he lias accomplished noth- 
rnix unless he takes those guns" Stern 
w >ds those! 

I'he soldiers, as well as Colonel Nelson, 
saw it was impossible to accomplish the 
unattainable, yet again the order to 



THE BLACK TROOPERS. 1*' > 

"r"iiiirf;r" was obeyed ^v■^]] n slioiit. 
rMmdows of Nai)(>le(»ir> lu^-td Aetrrr.iis 
who swam the turbid waters of the \ <'l}:a, 
and courted death under the sba(..\.- of 
the Pyramids of Egypt! 

Color Sergeant Anselmas rU.nci; i c ois 
(eolored) said to Cob Nelson beioie tlie 
tight; ''Colonel, I'll bring back these colors 
to you in honor or report to God the reason 
why." Subline determination! Brave 
IManeiancois repoi,..! to God. Coporal 
Heath catches up the dear old cob)rs and 
bears them up! up! and onward and wav^ 
ins defiance in a few yards of the bUzir.ff 
Confederate guns, he, too, lay a corp.-. < ;' 
rather a monument of endeavor to ci::e 
and to do. Who could select a more preg- 
nant text for a subline eulogy! History- 
ancient,'' mediaeval, and modern, shrink 
from the monumental task of furnishing 
a superior. Wlien the days of human 
disinterestidnesb is over; when truth 
an-ainst error is granted an andience f.f the 
eJ'ernalbar of .lustice, the true historian 
diprdng- hib (iuUl intotiie meteoric Hash ot 
absolure eruditioi^, will aseribo to the .No- 
{.-rVibc fnf-iplacc a:', ft bruve, ^jacrii.- 
ani gallai.t ^oUlici^ - 



Table of Contents 



Chapter I. Introductory 9 

Chapter II. Causes Leading up to the 

War 10 

Chapter III. Negro Soldiers Enlisted 

in the Regular Army 14 

Chapter IV. The 9th. Cavalry 20 

Chapter V. The 9th 's. Cuban Cam- 
paign 24 

C hapter VI. The 10th. Cavalry .... 29 
Chapter VII. Some Individual Mem- 
bers of the 10th 37 

Chapter VIII. The 24th. Infantry.. 54 
Chapter IX. The 24th. continued — 

the 24th. as Yellow Fever nurses 69 

Chapter X. In the Trenches before 

Santiago 71 

Chapter XI. The 25th. Infantry— How 

Kl Caney was won 77 

Chapter XII. Volunteer Soldiers. . 91 
Chapter XIII. The 3rd. N. C. Volun- 
teer Infantry 105' 

(Chapter XIV. The 8th. Illinois Vol- 

unteei- I nfatitry ....-•• 112 



chapter X\ • I'lu' 'I'.hA. l\aii>;i-> \'(»i- 

uiiteer Infantry . • 12() 

Chapter XVI Th« (jth Vu. \'(>lunt»*ri- In- 
fantry \'A\) 

Chapter XVII. The lOth. (ieur^ia Vol- 
unteer Infantry; IHh. Ohio Battilinn; Im- 
mune Kegiments, etc. l.'i-t 

Chapter XVIII. Coi'dusiun ... l«»i 



^14 



7 , 



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